Parasite Eve: It's Evolution
by Lady Victorian
Summary: Melissa is back from the dead and trying to put her life back together but no matter how hard she tried Eve always has influence over her life, can she never escape those horible days -novel-
1. Day After

Parasite Eve, Day After: Chapter One

Zander was a little confused to why he and his older partner Dalais were the ones stuck here cleaning up the human remains from when Eve and Aya fought at the Statue of Liberty. Why was he a dashing young man who basically had the body of a supermodel and pretty blue eyes with his sexy blond hair and his overly wise old partner the ones trapped here when they would be doing more good trying to restore order to the city. After all Zander Chase was a pretty boy type, and all this crusty human goo was getting on his new shoes. Wasn't it bad enough that his girlfriend of five years had left him...with their two year old son? of course not his life had to get worse by the day.

Not only was he cleaning up something that smelt a lot like rotting flesh but he was also afraid that Eve would emerge and set them both on fire before they had a chance. Knowing his luck she would be waiting for him to get closer and maybe trick or take over his mind and use him like some sort of...well he had to stop thinking now before his sad little mind when to a not so noble place.

Sweeping away the orange slim with a large street broom he complained to his Partner Dalais, "So why do we get the shit job and everyone else gets to run about town. Aya should be cleaning this, she made the mess."

"Sure, but Aya also saved the human race sooo...I think she earned the not cleaning it up part."

Zander shrugged going back to work and thinking of other things to complain about. Honestly there was no reason they were here other then the chief didn't like him for sleeping with his daughter. He could not help that girls were so attracted to him; maybe they should all just...stay away. Glancing over the surface of the goop he stepped forward getting closer to the statues head where it had fallen and where Eve had fallen.

He glanced back at his partner and then back at the statue jumping back as he saw something move. At first all he saw was a shoulder blade move and with one fast motion he held up the broom like a gun, slipped back on the melted human bodies and managed to scream in a girly tone, "Kill i..." His voice was cut short as he fell on his back into the smelly, sticky, human remains. "Oh my GOD, what the hell...seriously...what the hell...why me?"

He sat up feeling the slim all over his body and made a rather distasful look on his face. Slowly a woman's form lifted itself weakly out of the slim and then fell back down. The only thing Zander could manage to say was, "Holly shit she's naked....sweet"

Pulling off his jacket he could hear her choking and ran over not even thinking about the fact that this woman might still be controlled by Eve. Lifting her up he put the jacket on her shoulders and looked down at her normal brown eyes that separated her from Eve. With a smile on his face he stepped into hero mode and said to her, "No worries Miss. Pearce, your safe now."

She struggled to get up as if she had no energy left to live, her legs shaking as Zander helped her stand. As soon as she was on her feet again she stumbled forward falling back into the mess. At this point Zander didn't give a damn about being covered in the sick sticky crap so long as he could help her out. Gently he bent down sliding his arms under her legs and lifting up off the ground. As soon as she was in his arms her head fell back and she blacked out leaving Zander confused. His blue eyes trying not to focus just on her being naked and rather good looking, nasty and sticky but pretty damned cute.

His partner Dalais a man in his mid forties came running up behind him with gun drawn and aimed at Melissa's head. He was one of those cops who for his age was in pretty good shape, his chestnut hair graying along the sides, his honey brown eyes constant and stern like that good old fashioned father type of guy. His arms were tense as he kept his eyes on her his finger tempted to pull the trigger. After all that and she wasn't dead, that really seemed to piss him off a good amount. His sister had been one of her victims of the past days and nothing would have made him happier then to put a bullet in her head.

Zander asked him not quite sure how to react about the whole situation, "What do we do with her? Should we kill her or should we take her back to the station?"

Dalais put his gun away and brushed back some of her wet sticky locks away from her pale face, "So looks pretty worn out, good she has been through more hell then the rest of us, put her in the squad car lets take her to the station and have Aya decide what to do with her. I don't want to be the one to pull the trigger on her, we don't even know if she is a danger to us."

Zander looked back down at her serene face and shrugged lightly, "Sure as hell does not look dangerous."

Putting a hand on his shoulder he shook his head lightly and smiled a little, "Poor kid you're just young, she's a pretty young girl, they are always dangerous. Didn't Lily teach you that already?"

"To hell with Lily let's get her to the station."


	2. Stupid Men

Stupid Men: Chapter Two

Back at the precinct Zander trusted Melissa to a few of the girl cops to help her get washed up and changed. She seemed to be in a little pain, why not. Her body was recovering from violent attacks, mutations, oh and the birth of an ultimate being. She deserved to be babied right now, after all anyone who was taken over by Eve were allowed to get out at least seven years of bitching.

Drinking a cup of coffee he sat back at his desk keeping his gaze low. Dalais stood near his desk leaning up against it and reading some papers. "You are filling out this report, and if Aya says anything it was your idea. In the event that woman goes ape shit I think you should be the one to put that dog down."

Zander tapped a pencil against his desk and replied in a rather sour tone, "Eve's gone, there is nothing left but a frightened confused woman whose life just has to be put back together." At least he was certain she was gone, no evil creature had so much fear and confusion in their eyes like Melissa had. She was like a child, not speaking, didn't know how to do anything, started crying when they turned the showers on her. She just curled up away from the water in the corner whimpering like some little puppy with those big brown eyes looking up at the world with so much fear.

"Well, we shall see what the blood tests say about that." Dalais replied crossing his arms over his chest while he threw the files at Zander. "This better not just be some way of you making up what happened to Max that was not your fault you had no control over it, you don't have to do this."

"Yes Dalais…yes I do, it's the least I can do I found her." He replied brushing a hand through his wet hair. He had taken the liberty to shower right after they had taken Melissa's blood. She had tried to run away when she saw the needle and were drawing her blood. Her eyes just looked down with confusion before she blacked out. They had to give her insulin not that she was diabetic she was just not in good shape. His blue eyes studied the papers closely reading over her old medical files and muttering, "God that sick bastard had planned it from the beginning, that poor woman didn't even know what was happening to her."

Looking up he saw Aya standing there with a gun in her hands as Melissa walked in wearing some dark blue jeans and a black shirt. He could see it now, Aya taking her out with one shot to the head. Nearly jumping over the desk he yelled, "Hold it Aya, she's safe, she dose not need this stress."

"Safe? tell that to the person who had to nuke her just to start to get some ground in the battle for victory."

Standing in front of Melissa he stopped for a second and looked at her a little dumbfounded. Before when she was covered with slim and what not she was...cute, but more then anything she looked kind of...well slimy. Now that she was all cleaned up she was...well...he had no word for it, all he knew was that he probably drooled a little which did not help his case. What did he know anyways, he was a man and sadly a womanizer. Aya was not going to prevent herself from putting a bullet in Melissa's head because he had a slight crush on her. He had been through his own trauma lately, his word just would not settle. Still he took his place in front of her.

"Aya give her a chance before you blow her away. She deserves it; I say she is one hell of a sport. I am surprised she has not shot herself yet. Not to give you any idea's Melissa. Listen she can stay with me; I will keep an eye on her and make sure she dose not set people on fire. Besides mitochondria Eve left her body, even you said so. After Melissa gave birth Eve made a nest in case you won. Please Aya, just don't spill innocent blood."

Aya winced a little thinking it over. Slowly she lowered the gun and replied a little upset with him, "Fine, but I just want you to know. If she starts burning people again, you'll be the first person she kills." Zander let out a sigh of relief and let himself shrink down to his normal size rather then trying to seem big and defensive.

"Good luck then, you'll need it." Aya hissed at Melissa sarcastically. She hated that woman, just looking at her mad her want to knock the whore's lights out and hack her apart with a chain saw for all the trouble she…or Eve had caused. Melissa just looked at her with a blank stare as if she didn't give a damn that her life has been threatened just a moment ago. Her eyes were so empty…no so sad, she was almost depressing to look at.

"Your just jealous because you wished I would let you sleep at my house Aya, I know all the girls want me." Zander joked straightening out his white shirt.

"See what I mean?" She continued talking to Melissa. Turning away from the woman Aya turned her attention to Dalais, "Keep an eye on this fool, he needs someone to watch his back, kids, so stupid especially the boys."

Dalais nodded his head with a smile, "Don't I always watch his back, kid gets me in more trouble then I need but I still would take bullets for him. He's like a son to me…a son who I should have brought up with a little more respect."

Melissa just watched them all talk to one another, her eyes half closed now as she teetered back and forth on her heels looking as if she would fall over again. Instead she just shut her eyes and leaned against the wall. She muttered under her breath not fully aware of what she was saying or even what she meant to say, "Son…no…not mine." Zander looked at her a little confused as her chestnut hair fell in front of her face blocking the expression of distress on her face. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold and started to shiver shaking her head lightly. He went to move forward but was stopped by Aya.

"Well make sure she sees someone, you need to take her at least once a week so she can try and recover from this mentally, she is pretty banged up. We'll keep a close eye on her until those tests come back, and don't be surprised if we break down your door one day with guns blazing. That just means your little girlfriend failed the test. She fails the test she's going down I hope you know."

"Yes I know, and when that happens I'll help you take her down. For now she just needs help, would you let me take her away now. I think all this is just too much for her."

"Be my guest I just hope there is something left of you tomorrow when I break down your door."


	3. Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home: Chapter Three

Zander sat on the sofa watching the TV and paying mild attention to what Melissa was doing. At first when they had gotten there she had walked around looking at the pictures around his house. Pictures of him and his son, he didn't really say anything about those pictures. What could he tell her, he was not fit to be a father and had his son taken away? She had thanked him a few times; in fact he thought she only thanked him so many times because she kept forgetting she already had. She was not quite all there yet but she was making progress. Besides he hoped going to therapy would help her out more. Zander had no idea how a therapist would handle this but Zander would be there too in case she had a mental breakdown or something along those lines.

It had not taken long before she found the grand piano in his back room where when his father lived with him use to entertain guests. She slipped away into that room and started playing the piano. Since Zander had no idea how to play the thing he sat there and listened to her for some time until the music started getting to him. It was beautiful, just as pretty as her, but it was sad and he could not take sad right now. He had enough of his own sorrow to deal with.

Even now watching TV and waiting for the pizza to get done he could hear the beautiful and sad melodies float through the apartment. He knew she was a singer and almost deep down wished she would sing as well, but she didn't seem to want to talk or sing. She just was too...depressed to try. The annoying ding from the oven announced that the pizza was done. Getting up he moved to the oven and popped it open taking out the pizza and setting it on the counter. Smoke rising off the top, it was a little burnt but he was no master cook. In fact he pretty much had survived off his ex girlfriends cooking to keep him alive and now that he was dumped he had to fend for himself.

When he went to take a slice he stopped remembering Melissa and set a plate down at the table for her. Turning back he walked to the back room knocking lightly on the door and then opening it. The piano music stopped once he stepped inside and he saw two sad brown eyes look up at him. "Umm...hey Miss Pearce, pizza's done if you want any."

It looked as if she had been crying before he had opened the door since her eyes were a little red and puffy. Looking back at the piano keys she slid her fingers lightly over the surface and replied quietly, "I would rather just go to sleep now."

Leaning against the door he smiled and continued trying somehow to cheer her up but he just didn't know how to help her, "Well, I have a spare room, you can sleep in one of my shirts tonight until we get you new clothes since you burned down your apartment. Anyways, but if you do get hungry help yourself, no need to ask."

"I burned down my apartment?" She asked a little confused obviously not recalling this so ever. Her pale lips started shaking lightly as if the last bit of hope and fallen away from her.

"That's what they tell us at least, but someone burnt it, we assumed it was you…or Eve."

She looked back up to him trying to force a smile and replied, "Thank you so much...for everything." With that she got up and walked pass him, her head held low as she moved to the guest bedroom and closed the door behind her. He could hear her fall onto the bed not even bothering to get changed or anything. He had no idea what she was going through but he wished to god he could somehow help her just a little. She was so heartbreaking seeing her face so sad and her world completely gone.

Putting his hands in his pockets he kicked his foot out a little and decided to play the card his father played on him, "Well if ever you need to talk about anything I'll listen. Don't worry Melissa, you'll get better. Once you start your life again everything will start to fall into place. Start your job up, make new friends, meet up with old ones, find a nice house, get a boyfriend...start a family. One day this will just be a bad memory, one so distant you won't even remember what made you hurt this much."

He fell silent as he realized she was most likely lying on the bed crying and probably not listening to what he had to say. "Or at least that it's what I tell myself, and I am still going. I mean...I know what it feels like to lose everything you loved; I have had that happen to me. It's a cold lonely place, but hey. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

He turned around to hear the sound of the door opening again and Melissa standing there looking a little more...well, a little less ghostly. She stepped forward slowly a little cautious still and a little fearful. She was a little fearful of the world it seemed. He felt sad to see her at her worst and could only think what kind of woman she may have been once and if she would ever be like that again. Stopping in front of him she spoke a little louder then before and with more....personality, "I suppose I could do with some food, I mean it has been what...six, seven days since I last had anything to eat."

As they walked to the table he decided to say something to her. "You play the piano very well. So was that thing dusty or what, it has not been played for about six years now."

Melissa looked at his as she sat down and gave him a slight smile, "Thanks, and actually it was, and surprisingly still in tune."

"Thank god I got you to smile; you have a pretty smile I hope you know."

"Thanks, hey you're kind of creepy."

Zander tilted his head sideways and awkwardly replied scratching the back of his head, "Oh um...thanks???"


	4. Two Doctors

Two Doctors, One Day: Chapter Four

Zander sat quietly off to the site as Melissa talked to Dr. Evensan about all her 'troubles' The good doctor seemed to talk about them as if they were simply something you could 'blame on the parents' so to say. "I see." He said with that high and mighty air about him as if he had her figured out, "and do you feel guilty about all those people you hurt?"

Melissa looked at her hands blankly trying to seem strong. It was something she had only started to do once she got to the office and just after Aya had called Zander saying the tests were coming in. He had to admire her for putting on that strong face, especially after what she had been through. "Yes, I do feel guilt I suppose but I don't remember everything, only a little. I was told I killed everyone at the opera that night, and all those people in central park."

"I see, and do you feel bad about this baby you had, this supreme being?" He rested his chin on his hand looking over a clipboard as if her story was of no interest to him what so ever.

Melissa furrowed her brow clearly remembering that part, that was around the time Eve was said to have left her or so Aya said but she was still under her influence. "No, I just feel disgust and hatred, maybe a little sorrow but I don't want to feel sorry for it. It frightened me to much."

The doctor just scribbled some things down before continuing, "Even if it was your child, you don't feel any guilt for its death? Does this make you feel like a bad person? Does it make you feel as if you were a failure as a parent of any sort?"

Zander could see her getting upset now as she muttered with greater distress then before, "What? I don't understand…should I feel sorry…should I feel bad? I don't know what to feel, I don't know what I did wrong. Am I a bad person?" She started crying not sure what he wanted as an answer, "I feel like she took away my life and my chance for a life that is all I feel. Stop asking me these things because I am already dead. She killed me."

Zander jumped up a litter frustrated at this point with the doctor. He was getting no where with her, he was just badgering her and making her break down. Yelling back at him he felt his face burn with rage, "Shut up you ass hole, listen to me Melissa you didn't do any of those horrible things, that was not you and don't let people say that it was you. That was Eve that did all those bad things, you had no control of your body, it was her body at that point and that thing…that creature, it was not yours it was hers. No part of it looked like you, no part of it acted like you. It was not even human and you are human so it could not have been yours."

Melissa coward as he yelled this to her not trying to frighten her or seem angry but it seemed to stop her tears al the same. Grabbing her around the wrist he pulled her up onto her feet hugging her tightly. Her warm brown eyes looked down at the ground for a moment as the doctor just sat there shocked at what Zander had said. It was what no one else would tell her and what she needed to hear most. "She destroyed your life Miss Pearce and I intend to help put it back together if you want me too. I'll be your friend you can turn to, you don't have to be alone anymore, and you think you lost all your friends and allies but I am still here for you."

Shooting the doctor a harsh gaze his blue eyes flickered with a low boiling rage as she continued, "Right then we'll be off, I need to get down to the station for something. You have a good day Dr. Eversan and please stay the hell away from Melissa. I see you tell her this bullshit again I'll hit you so hard your college degree will feel it." Zander lead her out the door grabbing her coat they had gotten her just the other day while shopping. Melissa had been pretty lifeless for a Diva who had been given $25,000 and told to get whatever the hell she wanted at the mall.

In time he trusted maybe she would recover even if it would be a slow process. He could see by each day now that she was starting to get better being more herself. She gained more pride each day and even had started singing short soft songs around the apartment. All of them were in different languages from past opera's she had played in but all of them just as pretty. She slipped on her jacket not bothering to look over her shoulder at the doctor hoping she could forget about him and how bad he had made her feel.

Outside in the cold winter wonderland Zander looked over to his police car wondering if he should get her out of the apartment today. He wanted to bring her to a musical but was not sure that would be a good idea. Best he could think is bring her to the ice rink before it started warming up again. Melissa was quiet as always as she sat down in the car, she didn't move or anything until Zander joined her reaching over to buckle her up knowing she would not do it herself. Putting her hands over her face she laid forward resting her head on the dashboard, "I want to die, I feel so defeated and destroyed and I am sick with myself. What happened to me I can never recover from, just kill me please."

Zander feel silent letting his head hang. He glanced the sight of his pistol on his hip. He would never consider it, "Melissa…you need to just hang in, god help me I'll fix you up if I have to myself. Don't you dare give in, I'm not about to let you throw in the towel I spent to much time pulling you out of hell. Look at how much better you have gotten since I found you. None of it was your fault; you can't be blamed for anything."

"I know." She replied still with a depressed tone, "But she still ruined me, I can't look at anything anymore without knowing I don't belong here anymore. She will never leave me and I know it, It will all happen again and I'd rather die then have to relive that nightmare, please don't let me relive it please just kill me before it happens again."

"We'll see, we are going to find out if you are still infected. If you are then we will kill you, if not then time you let yourself get better."

"No she'll never go away, I know it, I'll never be free please." Zander ignored her rolling down her window so she would jump back into her seat from the could and shiver the whole ride rather then scream to him about how she wanted to just give up. He turned on the radio blaring heavy metal seeing her immediate distaste to the music. Her hair blew all over the place tangling in the wind as she shivered trying to fix the twisted strands, "Please roll up the window and turn off that music."

Zander rolled up the window feeling a little crazy himself right now, "What you don't like rock?"

"No." She replied sitting back and covering her ears with her cold hands. "Can you turn on the heat?"

"No, now please shut up…I can't stand listening to you right now." He growled back at her turning off the music and turning the heat on for her.

"Why?"

"Because I hate people who want to kill themselves and just give up, just keep quiet until we get to the station because so help me god even if you are still infected you can't just die like a sick dog Melissa, you a god damned human being alright and I am not letting anything hurt you, not even Eve, Eve can suck my fucking dick if she thinks she can hurt you again." Melissa didn't say anything to him after that, some part of her was afraid that even if she was infected still he would not let her die but another part of her wanted to smile because now she knew he would not let anything hurt her and he was serious about that.

Arriving at the station he was so nice as to open the doors for her, every door for her. He honestly had no idea if this was going to be her last few moments of life but not mater what was to happen he was not going to let anything bad happen to her because he had promised. As they walked down the hallways Melissa got tense and frightened, it was so bad Zander had to hold her close just to keep her from falling to the ground in tears. Everyone watched her closely as if she had the plague or would suddenly kill them all. It started to make him feel a little uneasy. Something was not right; something about the place was a little off.

Walking into the chiefs office he saw Aya and the chief all standing there alongside the doctor who had tested her blood and his partner Dalais. Dr. Witman smiled at Melissa giving her a bright smile, Zander didn't like the look of him at all. Dr. Witman finally moved his eyes away from Melissa, the look he had given her made Zander want to scratch his eyes out as if Melissa was some sort of exciting science project. As Aya reached for something out of the drawer the others seemed to cover her almost as if trying to hide something.

Zander got uptight grabbing Melissa by the arm and pulling her back behind himself in a defensive way. Putting his hands up he begged, "Wait now, just hold on think about what you are doing."

Aya raised an eyebrow with confusion as she pulled out a file and threw it on the desk. "Ummm…okay I thought about it, there are the results, Melissa you can breathe easy now, Eve is forever gone. You need never worry about her again." At this point Zander was gripping onto her arm so tightly that Melissa had to pull herself away from him and take a few steps back. She looked up at the doctor before turning her eyes away from him.

"He keeps looking at me." She whispered into Zander's ear feeling a little uneasy around him. She was afraid he would hook her up with wires and cords and start testing on her more like a lab rat. She knew he was hiding something or he was planning something, either way she didn't like it.

Speaking up Dr. Witman spoke up, "The only problem we encountered was that one of your blood samples went missing. We assume it was just a mix up in some lab. You are certainly free of Eve, I tested it twice myself and it was retested by some other men as well. We just suggest you never give blood or take anything that would suppress your immune system just to be safe. Other then that you probably have no more to worry about then Aya does."

Zander knew Aya had to be more cautious then Melissa was now, she actually had mitochondria eve in her body and it could take her over if her immune system were to somehow be unable to fight it off, much like the medication had done to Melissa. Zander seemed to breath a sigh of relief, now he would not have to kill someone innocent but Melissa herself didn't seem all that thrilled. The news had not changed much in her life at all. "So, I can go home then, I mean I can just put this all behind me, forget about all you people and leave the country right?" Melissa asked hoping they would open the door and let her run until she could no longer run.

Dr. Witman folded his hands and looked around nervously, "Well…actually I was hoping you could stay. Your body has been left changed permanently and I would like to study up on you and perhaps from you we might find a 'cure' to Eve. I am sure your body built up some sort of defense or that she left some trace behind in you that left you a little more…evolved then the rest of us. However we don't know what sort of tissue this might be in but we can certainly…."

Melissa cut him off glaring at him, "I will NOT be you lab rat Dr. Witman. I'm leaving, if you need me I'll be at the opera house trying to put my life back together. Zander lets go." Zander was caught off guard, she seemed…snippy now, a little angry and upset. Who wouldn't be she just wanted her life back and everyone was trying to make her out to be a freak. Walking back out the door his eyes followed her while he ran his fingers through his short spiky blond hair and let out a sigh.

"Hold on Zander…keep an eye on her, don't let her leave. We do need to keep an eye on her even if she does not have any traces of Eve left. She could be useful to use somewhere down the line but for gods sake give her more room to breath, let her gather up some of her old life back and maybe she'll settle down more."

"So does this mean you like her now?"

"No…it means I won't be putting a bullet in her head, but I still don't like her. What is there for me to like in Melissa?" Zander just let his head drop low as he turned to the door. What was there you could not like about Melissa? She was a perfect angel, there was nothing wrong with her it just seemed he was the only one who trusted her and didn't see her as a monster. In time everyone would realize she was just a normal sweet woman.


	5. Broken Hearts

Broken Hearts: Chapter Five

A few weeks had passed and at first Zander had enjoyed Melissa's company but it had not taken long before she started to return to her old life. She took up opera and worse, she took up being a diva. At first she had been his dream woman but now she was...his living nightmare. Running out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and soap in his hair he screamed, "Why is all the hot water gone, I have my shift in an hour and no water to shower in."

Melissa sat near the laundry machine with a pouting look on her face, "Why are you STILL making me do my own laundry when I don't even know how? Oh and I might have used all the hot water."

Pointing a scrub brush at her face he waved it at her like she were a dog, "Woman, you don't need to take two hour long showers. Your a actress, aren't you suppose to be a dirty little girl sleeping with everyone? Wait that's porn, sorry...but still. I need to be clean too. In fact more so then you. I don't see you running around getting shot at."

Melissa put a hand over her eyes as he lifted up both hands and dropped his towel continuing, "I had to bust a drug deal this week, you just had to sing and dance. For gods sakes woman this is just as bad as when you reorganized the entire house. I can't even put a spoon away without you yelling at me. Why the hell do spoons have their own little space, why can't they mingle with the forks, they make good friends how else would we get sporks?"

Melissa pushed her back into the washer and begged, "Okay shorter showers, please just put your towel back on. We're room mates, not married, I don't need to see your...indecent exposure Zander." Zander looked down picking up his towel in a panic and wrapping himself back up.

"Someone needs to put a fork in your spoon woman, your so damn crabby."

"And your perverted, now go take a cold shower you need it." She pointed angrily at the door as he shuffled off leaving puddles behind him from the water dripping off his body. Just as she thought he was gone he seemed to slink back into the room sticking his head through the door and continued to pester her.

"Okay so what...but my body looks pretty damn good right?"

"BE GONE WITH YOU VAIN MAN." She yelled slamming the door on his head and making him lung back with a now wonderful migraine.

Once he had finished his shower he drove angrily to work nearly running over an old woman. He mumbled to himself glancing in the review mirror trying to fix his hair. He was far to pretty to have some girl cracking a whip on him every time he left the toilet seat up. The only good thing about this relationship was that if she slept with other girls it was not cheating because Melissa and he were just room mates, however whenever he brought a girl home Melissa yelled at him to keep it down because she had to work in the morning. That of course just made him pound on the wall to freak her out and make her think they were doing something they probably really were already doing in the next room. Zander told himself it was jealousy but what the hell did he know of that, he had never been jealous before. Besides he was certain opera singers did not chase down cops with a low pay and high risk of death.

Something told him however that was soon to change. At work he stopped Aya, one of his eyes still twitching from this mornings fight. Aya took one look at him and just started to laugh at his misery, "What, I told you Zander. You can't live with a woman. You're too...much of a guy. So how is married life treating you?"

"Har har, honestly I took that woman in out of the goodness of my heart and this is how I am repaid. 'Can you wash dishes I don't want to?' Then when I try to get her to do things it's always, 'oh well I am still suffering the trauma.' NO trauma...I am suffering the trauma, trauma of living with HER."

A secretary at her desk laughed a little, "Goodness of your heart, ha, more like goodness below your waist. We all saw how you were looking at her Zander. You're a womanizer and horny, you can't help it. When the brain inside your pants starts talking the brain in your head stops working."

Aya nodded her head in agreement crossing her arms over her chest, "Sounds like you have a crush to me."

Zander jumped pointing a finger at her, "What...no way...no way in hell. Oh god never would we work out...like hell I like that devil woman. No my type of girls are like...AYA...or...Aya...hey I like bad girls...hard core bad girls."

Pushing him back into a wall she started walking away, "Ha, oh...only in your dreams Zander. We could never work out, you see I like honest men who will not sleep with my best friend."

"Hey, hey, hey that was a low shot...and besides....that only happened once." Zander continued to follow Aya down the hallway into one of the rooms where they were so lucky to have a television. As they entered the room he could hear the news channel blaring up. When he stepped into the room someone yelled out to him, "Hey Zander your girlfriends on."

Taking a cup of coffee from someone's hand he looked down at it thinking of what Melissa had yelled at him for. Coffee stains your teeth and is bad for you, no shit that was why he drank it. When Melissa was mentioned to his own horror he ran to lock his eyes on the screen and nearly went insane over what he saw. It was from yesterdays whatever it was that she had gone to. Now Zander had been such a gentleman as to go to all her shows but this...this was so unfair. There on the screens he saw as Melissa was kissing another man on the cheek.

Zander's face burned as he squeezed the coffee cup in his hand and made the hot dark liquid pour out onto his skin burning it. Throwing the cup in pain he shook his hand and yelled, "Damnit." It just hit him what jealousy felt like, but what hit him harder was what he had just realized. His eyes widened with horror as he turned away from the screen, away from those alluring eyes that had him trapped. Even when he looked away they were stuck in his mind, her image was burned into his eyes and it hurt. He was in love with her wasn't he? This was his worst nightmare come true. He had never been in love, and never planed on being in love.

Aya seemed to notice his strange jittery behavior and put a hand on his shoulder, "Wow, she really dose have you wrapped around her little finger."

"Damn, and I am nothing but her toy...she dose not like me...hell Aya it's Lady and the Tramp with us. Opera singer...NY cop. Damn her, Melissa is so much more evil then Eve...because I was not some mindless little puppy around Eve."

"Well if it makes you feel better, around Eve you would just have been a pile of ash...or goop, pick one." It didn't make him feel better, it was hard to feel better when your heart had shattered to pieces and fallen on the ground. The voice of the reporter in the background made Zander wince as if in pain. So Melissa was in love with this…Pierre Delucase, what was it that Zander was missing, what did this sissy French guy have that he didn't? Well that didn't matter, she was not 'his'…or was she? Not yet, but she could, he was a dashing man, strong, funny, smart, charming. Zander Chase could get any woman he wanted…and damn he would get Melissa if it meant punching Pierre's teeth out on national television.


	6. On Like Donkey Kong

On Like Donkey Kong: Chapter Six

Sitting back at home Melissa had no idea what storm was going to blow in and try to sweep her away. It was truly wicked if you though about it, at night she still honestly cried about what had happened, never again would she want something so bad that she would do anything to prevent it. When the door swung open she jumped having flashbacks of what had happened to her only three months ago.

There Zander stood in the doorway holding some roses in his hand, his foot resting up against the rim of the door as he looked over at her with one of his charming little smiles. "Well Melissa, funny seeing you here my ordinary room mate. Oh look, these flowers seem to have just appeared in my hands, oh well would you like them?"

"Oh...I hate roses."

Zander's eyes got wide with anger as he threw them on the ground and yelled,"BULL SHIT, you said yourself that they were your favorite flower, you LOVE them." Shutting his mouth he picked the roses back up, "I mean...wow you look pretty today, want me to do something? I can help you arrange the house if you would like."

She looked at him raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side, "What did you do?"

"Why do women assume I have done something wrong when I try to be nice?"

"Because usually you are a jerk...just a though. Well if it is about the fight this morning no I will not forgive you...until you tell me something, what is up with the little boy in all your pictures, is he your nephew? I have not met him, surprisingly since you have introduced me to your entire family."

Zander closed the door behind him and set the flowers on the counter. He had almost forgot those pictures, he had not looked at them for some time, it hurt to much, ever since she took his son away...they should not have fought, he should have been a better man. Looking over at the wall he caught the smile of the little two year old boy. "Oh...him...yes." His voice was heavy with sorrow as she sat down at the table folding his hands in his lap. "He is...well he is my son. His mother took him to live in California with her; she said I was a worthless father. Well crime rate in California and Lily is not a wealthy person. They moved to the...bad part of town. About a month after he…he got shot."

Before he could stop himself he felt his chest get heavy and his head fall to the table as he burst into tears. Melissa got up quickly and moved over to Zander putting a hand on his back. She knelt down at his side and put her arms around him stroking his hair. Well she had no maternal bond to the beast she had given birth to, but she had a slight idea what he might be feeling. Some part of her...some tinny part of her felt sorry for her little demon child.

Zander put his head against her shoulder and continued to sob, "I promised him I would protect him, gangs are common around their house and when he was playing in the park...there was a shooting and he got hit by a stray bullet. Lily called me screaming. She just said there was blood all over...I am so far away there was nothing I could do. The bullet ripped his liver up, he is still in the hospital, he got a bad infection and a fever, at first they didn't think he would make it but he might recover, they don't know. They have never seen a child so sick before. I am so sorry I ever let him down."

Melissa stiffened up as he mentioned transplants, but then again his son was a boy, Eve seemed to attack women for her hosts, not boys. Eve despised the male sex; Melissa could recall that much from Eve's separate persona. To think, having a monster in your head and now she was normal trying to grab onto her shattered life and acting as a physiologist to a cop. Zander put his arms around her waist as he got control of himself and sat up. "Sorry hun, didn't mean to cry."

"I understand, you needed it. Zander, there is still hope for your son, he will be alright, the doctors can fix him I mean I was dieing of kidney failure once...of course they put a kidney in me infected with Eve which caused all my troubles, but look at me now. I am not dieing and I don't have Eve in me anymore. It will turn out better for him. Don't be ashamed of your tears, I find sensitivity in a man rather appealing." She had to say something to him; he deserved at least that much. After all he had taken her in and deep down he was a good guy, "Thank you for the flowers by the way."

Pulling away from her he turned around and looked back at the picture of his son. "No problem...I just saw them and thought they were nice...okay I thought they were beautiful...kind of like...ehem...anyways shouldn't you be getting ready for your date or something?"

Melissa was surprised, this was a whole new side to him, and it was kind of scary. This guy was...well he was complicated in his own way. Her cheeks blushed a little as he mentioned her date. She shrugged and put her hands in her lap replying, "Who needs him, he is a dime a dozen. I am not the kind to have a guy that is just like everyone else. I like those...men who are one of a kind. You would say you are...well different...most certainly interesting." Oh wow she had never noticed it before but she had this tingling feeling whenever she talked to him. He was...well it was hard to find a single man better then him, it seemed strange yes, but he had been, well he had been her knight in shinning armor. Zander had saved her; he made her...smile, something she rarely had done even before the incident.

With bright eyes filled with hope he looked to her and shrugged, "I'm...interesting...I think. Hey Melissa...ummm, you're not annoying, or a bitch or a soul sucking monster...you're...ummm, you're a cool woman. You have a pretty voice, and well...I sort of...I like you a little more then a room mate. Hope that dose not trash our friendship, I kind of would like us to stay friends if nothing else." That was odd, that line was usually used when he was braking up with someone.

He had expected Melissa to say, okay lets be friends but instead what he heard made him perk up his imaginary dog ears...which oddly he imagined that he was something like a police dog, he was friendly, and loyal...BS...well he loved dogs so it was normal that he kind of thought like one. "Friends? Oh well I thought...well, we do live together, we both seem to like each other. I thought it only made sense we sort of stopped just being friends...or mortal enemies, whatever we were for a time. I mean you do come to all my concerts and you take good care of me. Your parents love me...and they did suggest you settle down and not lose me, how about you be my escort to the party. We can see where things go from there."

Zander nearly shat himself. He had not had the balls to ask her out...and yet here she was basically throwing it in his face, inviting him to a party as her date. Well he already knew who wore the pants in this relationship. She could keep them; at least he wore the gun holster. That was much more manly then just 'the pants' and besides he preferred shorts anyways.


	7. Pro Cop

Pro Cop, Rookie Date: Chapter Seven

Well it seemed to him that Melissa had all the connection's to all the fancy restaurants, but he wanted to surprise her and make her think he had connections as well. Well in reality he did, he ruled the streets, he had his snitches, but unless Melissa wanted to be a member of the mob then he was sadly cut short of surprises for her. No instead he had asked the police chief to make a deal with the restaurant owner and get him a table here. Sure he was going to lose this month's entire pay, but money didn't matter to him.

Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy the woman who makes you happy. Sitting at the table for two he waited close to the warm light from the chandeliers. The music was very...well it was classical, but it gave the room good ambience. Glancing over at a few tables away from his he saw a man propose to his girlfriend and sighed. All his relationships never made it to the alter, he was mostly just trying to make it to the bed, but this one would be different. It was obvious Melissa was a woman of class, she was an opera singer, they had a code and he kind of wanted to find out about this code so he could use it to catch her as his own.

Putting a hand over his face he spoke quietly, "I am such a man...I should be walking about with a club trying to knock girls on the head so I can drag them back to my cave." Looking up he had heard Melissa's voice asking where the table was. He sat back eyes all wide and mouth dropped tot he floor as she walked over in a dazzling red dress. He was afraid to say anything for fear something very rude would slip out and he would end up with a smack in the face. Standing up he quickly stepped in front of a waiter and pulled Melissa's seat out for her letting her sit down before returning t his own seat.

He didn't want the waiter to get the credit of pulling out her chair; shivery was alive...well right now anyways. He straitened out his tux trying to look more like a gentleman then ever before. His gun digging into his hip, god forbid Zander ever leave Betsy behind. Besides it made him feel very James Bond. "So Melissa...you look, wow...I mean just stunning. That dress looks very nice on you." His male brain was thinking up about a hundred other things he would like to say to her, but saying them would be his death.

Melissa had her perfect posture and pretty little glow and 'look at me I am as close to a real princess as it gets' look. It made him want to crush his wine glass and throw it into someone's drink. Any man who looked at her got a quick glare from the cop who refused to have his head turning girlfriend oggled at by other men. He was selfish like that. "So did you know Aya is now a member of MIST. I mean that is a big deal right. So what's on your agenda love?"

Nearly blushing she replied to his compliment, "Oh well thank you, you did say you loved the color red...so...anyways I can't believe you got us into this restaurant. You know I can't even pull that off." She smiled at him folding her hands and putting them in her lap. She knew that when she tried to hide her affection for him that it bothered him, but she was not to comfortable showing off her emotion in public. She even refused to kiss him in public even after going out for two months now. "Oh that is good news Zander, I am very happy for Aya, she deserves it. As for me...I have a concert booked. I already got you a ticket, front row; I know you would come even if I didn't want you to."

Zander shrugged, "Well really who wouldn't want to see you sing. You have a beautiful voice."

"Funny thing is I never thought you liked classical music all that much."

Zander shrugged, "I don't mind it, I prefer Broadway...just don't tell the guys at the precinct about that. They are still a little iffy about the scarf thing. They finally realized I was not gay when you came down last week and we had that argument about the bathroom and what not. They realized I had to be straight because what straight man didn't try to defend his last male claimed territory from the invasion of poperie."

Melissa laughed a little at his recap and point of view. He always has something outlandish to say about his life. That was probably why she loved him so much. Tilting her head to the side a little she said, "Well you still have your bedroom, I have not intruded on that small part of your sanctuary."

Zander thought to himself, _'Sure the only room I actually wanted you to intrude on. If you weren't so nice I would think you the devil woman. Tease, test, make me jump through hopes. When will you let me win for once?'_ As the waiter came over to the table they placed their orders and Zander gave him a tip asking him to do something to surprise Melissa. Why not, he would do anything for her, if she wanted a house he would buy her three, if she wanted a part in a musical he would find the director and 'makes deals' until he gave her that part. Returning to their conversation he started, "Well, we have been going out for a while now, I mean sure my apartment is three room...but if you wanted we could share mine. I mean not in a trying to get into your pants kind of way...wait...that didn't sound right."

He bit his tongue wanting so badly to slap himself at this point. Even after dating for so long...well in his book anyways, he still felt like he had to tip toe around everything with her. She was nice to him however and smiled, "Well that's an idea, what would we do with the two extra rooms then?"

Oh he knew she was going to back him up into this corner again. The getting married starting a family talk all men feared. His back was now against the preverbal wall, he was in his imaginary corner sucking his thumb and thinking back on those better days. "Um…weight room?"

"Oh...well...I suppose, whatever you want." She seemed a little let down by his answer. Go figure she should have know he was not the sort of guy who...truly cared about anything else other then his own needs.

Jumping in he continued, "Oh but you know...just for the time. I am sure somewhere down the line, if things work out it might be oh lets say little Tarry's room."

"Who's Tarry?"

"My son...well, our son...right...I mean my other is why the hell in California and his mom has a restraining order on me. But hey I deserved it, at least he is alright."

She tapped a finger against the table and replied, "Oh...well I don't really like the name Terry, and who says I want a son? I did that already, his goal was to take over the world and destroy humanity. I don't think he would make it into a nice collage."

Zander usually tried to pretend she was joking, but she seemed serious, well about the never having a son thing anyways, "Well funny thing is I would not want to have a girl...I mean...we could have problems there in that department with all the....um...considering..."

Melissa interrupted, "Considering the Eve situation, Zander, our daughter would NOT become the new Eve. Those mitochondria aren't even in my body. They would have to come out of thin air to affect any of my children." He knew that, he just didn't want to take any chances of having that horrible incident happen all over again only see his own daughter become the monster this time. Then again he was afraid sometimes that Melissa would become Eve again, and then he was left...alone.

"Well lets drop it before we argue, shit happens lets go with that."

"Shit happens." She raised an eyebrow a little unimpressed, "So you are going to chance your child's entire life on shit happening."

"No...no…listen topic closed, when we are married and thinking about having kids we can reopen this topic. Stop trying to bend me to your will hun it will not work...okay it will but...whatever."

Saved by the sirens, red and blue lights flashed in the window as Dalais ran into the restaurant and moved swiftly to the table. "Zander, get your shit we need you. Caponi's going down, we found the bastrad."

Zander jumped up grabbing his coat and made a move to run off but paused standing next to Melissa. Bending over he kissed her on the cheek and said, "I love you." As he finally took of to the door and jumped into the car she watched the people around her glance at her with confusion.

Putting a hand lightly on the table she whispered to herself, "Love you too Zander, I just wish you would listen to me when I said it."


	8. Not Losing You

Not Losing You: Chapter Eight

He came home smelling like smoke and some sort of horrible chemical. His face was bloodied from being hit with a pistol, pistol whipped if you would like to know. His whole body ached from the incident, it had been hell literally. Catching a mob boss with twenty men was not easy to do at all but he had done it. It seemed him and every cop in New York including the FBI had shown up just to bust this ass hole and now they had him behind bars. It seemed like a happy ending until he stepped into the apartment at midnight finding it to be rather quiet.

Limping into the bedroom he fell over on the bed letting out a sigh. He rolled over letting his hand fall on the pillow beside him when he felt something crinkle beneath his palm. It felt much like paper, in fact not to his surprise it was paper, it was a note. Picking the paper up he held it close to his eyes squinting in the dark to read the fancy writing. It was Melissa's he knew her handwriting all to well, all those bitching at him notes she always left him like 'out of milk get more' or, 'your lazy clean your shower or no more love for you.' This letter did not look like that sort of letter to him even at first glance.

Leaning over to the nightstand next to his bed he flicked on the small lamp creating a small circle of light around him in the room. Finally he could see what she had written him and he felt his stomach drop as he read it, a kick to his side while he was already down.

_Dear Zander Chase_

_As you know I was rather let down today at the restaurant. I honestly think this can no longer work out for us we are just to different people from two different worlds. This was never meant to be and I am sorry. I thought today maybe you actually loved me; you went so out of your way to make me happy all these many months even if I drove you crazy but I learned today you truly don't care about anything but yourself. I have decided to go stay with a friend I met from the production we are doing now. He has promised to let me stay with him until I can get my own apartment. I wish you the best of luck Zander and hope one day you have your son back, I don't think you would be a horrible father at all. You just need to learn to grow up and put others before yourself and then you would be a perfect father. I know you have helped me so much. I hope maybe somewhere down the line we can be friends again_

_With love and regret Melissa Pearce_

Zander let the paper sit in his hands for a moment as he gazed down at it with a blank stare. He never knew any word spoken or written would ever hurt him this much but it had. Ripping the note to pieces he threw it over his bed before putting his hands to his face shaking a little. He didn't give a damn about the note; obviously she didn't know his personality type. She had been the only woman he had ever loved, he never cheated on her, he didn't even thing about it. He had not even loved the mother of his child, he only put up with her because it was his kid he had to look out for but Melissa was what he had to consider his greatest weakness. She had him so twisted and bent out of shape that any little twist would nearly kill him and leaving him be would certainly cause his death. He had to get her back by any means necessary and he would not sleep until he did.

Jumping off his bed he thought about whom she was friends with running it through his mind who he could narrow it down to. Men, of course they were mostly all men, guys were flocking her every second of the day. It finally hit him, the guy with the leading roll in the production they were working on now. He had a crush on Melissa that was why Zander hated him and wanted to strangle him. It had to be him. Picking up his cell phone he dialed the station and asked still a little flustered over the letter. "Hey I need you to give me some information on someone…and an address. Oh and…is anyone using the choppers that can come my way? I'll meet them on the roof if I have to."

Melissa sat up looking out the widow wondering if this was what freedom truly was. Was she away from all of that painful past she hated so much, was she free to finally just go on with a normal life? Some part of her felt bad about Zander, he had after all been the only person with so much faith in her. He had taken care of her like some little bird with a broken wing but now her wings were healed and she just wanted to fly away. As she gazed at the dark sky wishing she could see the clouds a bright white light flooded her eyes followed by the loud sounds of a chopper.

She jumped away from the window shielding her eyes as a strong wind blew through her open window and a loud voice over a loud speaker called to her, "Miss Melissa Pearce, we have the order to take you into the station under orders of the chief, something has come up." Melissa opened her eyes again looking at the chopper and groaning. This would never end, she had half the mind to throw herself out the window and just hit the bottom. Still unlike before she actually had something to live for now, she was starting to get her life back and she would do anything to keep it.

It was not a long flight to the station where she was lead into the chief's office by three men. Melissa pulled her white lace robe tighter over her shoulders shuffling over to the desk with her white flats on her feet. The chair was turned to the wall so she could not see who was sitting in it but whoever it was had been the one who had her sent for. When the men all left she walked tot eh desk resting her hands down on the surface demanding in an angry tone, "Who are you and why did you bring me here? You better start talking."

The black leather chair swirled around making it nearly comical like one of those cheesy villains in a James Bond movie. Stepping back she crossed her arms over her chest to see Zander sitting there sucking on a pipe. Pulling the pipe from his mouth he replied, "Ello there love, been waiting for you t get here. Good think I am so buddy buddy with the chief but you have any idea how much all this is going to cost me…but honestly I don't give a damn Melissa because I don't care about anything but you."

"Don't you mean yourself…oh damnit Zander your such a child you need to grow up. We are over and I suggest you stay away from me because I am getting a restraining order." She moved to walk out the door only to have Zander jump to his feet with an unnatural speed and grace. Despite his bruised up chest and arms and legs he grabbed her arm and spun her around into his embrace holding her close but gentle.

Melissa you may not believe me when I say this but I mean it, "I love you Melissa…whatever you want I'll get it for you. Ask me to jump off a bridge and I will."

"Pulling her face away from his chest she replied with a wicked smirk, "Then go jump off a bridge."

Zander let her go running over to the window, leaping over the desk as if it were nothing more then a little obstacle to him. Throwing the window open he looked back at her, "I would hun, I'd do it for you because even if you no longer are haunted by eve you still have some sort of horrible and evil control over me…I can't do you any wrong but I can't seem to do you right either. Tell me, say it yourself. Say you want me out of your life and I'll be gone forever but I'll never be happy again. Take away my home, take away my job, take away my looks but don't take away what I feel for you because that is what made me into who I am today."

Melissa rolled her eyes feeling a little odd standing there in front of him so indecent and in this situation with him hanging half way out a window. She had never seen him like this, so dramatic and so…unnatural almost. He moved about as silent as a cat and so graceful no human could possibly be so physically perfect. Standing by that open window his short blond hair was ruffled by the wind, the street laps putting a glow over his form. His very stance looked so…angelic almost as if he could leap out the window and fly away from her. His shimmering blue eyes looked at her with desperation; she just could not resist him. He was just too sweet and slightly creepy to hate.

"Okay get back inside the office and let's just talk this through. Just hear my side of the story please for once…just once listen to me and don't argue because I am tired of arguing." Zander slipped quietly back into the safety of the office closing the window again and looking at her with a little hope. He sat down in the chair leaning forward intently ready for her to speak.

"I won't say a damned word until you want me to say something. I'll listen…I'll listen to you and nothing can pull me away, not work, nothing."

She was impressed; he was handling this situation with a whole new flare she had never seen from him. "Alright then, what you did to me today at the restaurant really hurt me. You didn't even try to stay with me; it was like you were running away from me and honestly I don't need a man who is going to run away from me. That is the last thing I want or need. You never listen to me; you always argue with me, we can't seem to get along. You act like a child and you promised me you would listen to me when I needed to talk but I can never talk to you about anything because you are never listening."

She paused a moment walking to the door he was not going to listen to her now and she hated the thought of taking the bus home dressed like this. Zander stopped her with one desperate glance making her freeze in place. "I know I have not been everything I can be for you. I know I need to grow up and I will. Melissa you want a nursery room you'll have it, you want a wedding ring okay what store which ring money is no issue…please just don't leave me, give me a second chance to change. If you still hate me then I will not stop you. Tell me what to do I'll listen…I am so sorry just please, I already lost my son I can't lose you too."

She felt a little sorrow come over her; to think he was comparing her to his son and she knew he loved his son a lot. He had probably said it just to make her feel guilty but she didn't honestly care now. He seemed serious about what he was saying and she had to trust him and why…because she loved him too, she just didn't like to admit it. Rolling her eyes she shook her head lightly, "Fine…one more chance, if you don't change I am gone and you can't stop me no matter what you say."

Zander walked up to her taking her back into his arms and holding her tightly kissing her on her cheek over and over again. She wondered why she put up with him sometimes but it was moments like this when she saw his true colors that she found herself loving him more and more. Just when you thought you had Mr. Zander Chase figured out you were thrown off guard and he acted totally against character. It was like he had no one solid personality, he was just a mystery.


	9. Need To Talk

Need to Talk: Chapter Nine

It had been three months since the little fight over the restaurant...and then again at home when he got back but Zander was sure he had dodged some bullets. However it had got him to thinking, in fact he thought it had been long enough of a wait and he didn't want to be alone forever and since Melissa had agreed to change for him he had changed for her...and had gotten her a very nice engagement ring.

He was still not sure if this was what he wanted...no he was sure, he was damned sure. Life without her would be worthless, that was fact. Pulling the ring out of his pocket he tapped his foot nervously and thought about how to do it. He had thought about doing something impressive and fancy, but he wanted it to really surprise her. No he had planned going to Central Park later and then proposing there on a whim. She would never see it coming, and then again he would never see what was coming at him either. A whole storm was about to rain on his parade.

Spinning a little back and forth at his desk in his chair he tucked the ring away and looked up to see Melissa walk in through the front doors of the precinct. He was a little baffled, she had said she was going to be at a friends today so he was more then a little surprised to see her. As she walked closer to Zander she stopped and talked to the chief for a quick second. Zander tried to listen in but they were out of his range. Finally she looked back at him and gave him a weak smile before walking up to him and giving him a hug. "Oh I missed you so much Zander."

"What...but I just saw you this morning." He wanted to know what she was up to. She seemed a little...happy and yet a little sad at the same time, and excited. Putting his arms around her she sat down on his lap and just rested her head on his shoulder. He asked a little worried, "Are you alright, looks like you were crying or something."

Melissa sat up looking at him and smiled, "No, I'm fine...now. Oh....can we go somewhere private I need to talk to you. We can go in your bosses office he said we can use it."

He was a little worried now, whenever a girl said 'we need to talk' something bad was about to happen and he was afraid that his heart was going to get broken. Still he followed her to the office and even closed the blinds. "So what do you have on your mind hun?"

She turned to look at him again playing with her hands nervously, "Well remember when we talked about that one topic and you said close it till it concerns us...well it concerns us."

Zander being a forgetful man remembered the argument but not the topic of it, "well we have a lot of those don't we?"

"Yes I suppose we do...but Zander...maybe you should sit down." He sat down afraid she was going to tell him it was over. He sat down feeling his heart race and that ring in his pocket practically laughing at him. "So remember our deal, we share a bed...the spare room gets to be a small gym...but when we decided to have kids if ever we got married we would have it be a nursery. Then I complained about how unprepared you were for...everything and..."

His eyes light up as he moved forward on his chair and pulled her down onto his lap wrapping his arms around her. She smiled at him rolling her eyes a little, "Well, okay let's take it down a different path. So in the past week I have been sick, and I fainted at a rehearsal and well...I thought it was something else...and you freaked out thinking it was Eve but good news its not."

Zander sat back a little, his eyes got wider as she spoke, "Holly shit." was all he was able to say at this point.

"Well, don't be so angry about it Zander."

Putting a hand up he stopped her and replied, "Okay, hold on just say it....I don't think we are on the same page."

She rolled her eyes again seeming a little more worried then before, "Okay Zander Chase, you are going to be a daddy, I'm pregnant."

"Shit we were on the same page." he managed to whimper. "I am so not ready for this right now...I mean we...we need to think about....we need names, and doctors appointments, we need to make sure he will not be coming out and trying to destroy things, that is top of my list. We need a good doctor...and collage...what collage is he going to, do you know?"

"Um...our babies about an inch long, I don't think we need to worry about a collage just yet...and that was something rather rude to say about your baby. What makes you think it would come out wanting to blow things up...oh my god, are you secretly evil?" she smiled to let him know the ending was a joke, Zander worried to much, he was to much like a woman in that way. He either complained or worried...or was just perverted.

Patting his pockets he put his finger up to signal for her to wait, "Hold on...I was thinking ahead this month, I have been thinking a lot and I think this is a sign from whoever signs come from." Getting down on one knee he pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked, "Well Melissa Pearce, your last name is pretty...but don't you think Chase would sound so much more beautiful. Oh and since your the mother of my baby seems right we get married and hey I already had planed to ask you anyways."

She put a hand to her heart and got that shocked look on her face just before smiling, "You have the strangest way with words Zander. Was that even a proposal? Oh well, Mrs. Chase dose sound a lot better actually."

As he slipped the ring on her finger he heard the door swing open and men in uniforms stepped in. Glancing at them he caught the letters MIS on one of the men's jackets. Standing back up he moved in front of Melissa knowing she was possibly the only person they would have come for. Two of the riffle wielding men parted to let Aya through, her blue eyes looking up into his as she smiled, "Well Congratulations Zander, I wish I was here just so I could say that but I am afraid not. We were faxed Melissa's file from the hospital, we already know. That is why we have to take her in and make sure that she and the baby are not a treat. She will not be harmed nor will the kid, you can even come with. Sorry we are on such high alert, but ever since LA...well, there has been a lot of activity. Very strong activity, this could mean we are looking at another Eve."

Zander put his arms around Melissa and whispered to her, "I know it's not you hun, I know your not a monster or I would not love you. I know our kid is not evil either...but lets not try anything stupid, if I lose you I'd rather not go on living."

"I agree, I don't take this personally, I know...I am considered a threat, maybe after this I am free to finally live my life...live our life. Let's just get it over with okay."

Aya smiled at them and replied, "Alright then, follow me, there is a chopper outside waiting for us."


	10. Evolution

Evolution: Chapter Ten

"Well everything looks just fine Miss. Pearce, nothing to worry about." The scientist said flipping through the charts. Melissa had sat here for two hours just to hear what she already knew. It was sad the lack of faith people had these days. As the scientist walked into the next room Zander ran in wrapping his arms around her and putting his head on her shoulder. The white room was rather unnerving, MIST had probably tried to study the mitochondrial beings or whatever in here, the very room Melissa and his baby had been thrown into. He looked up at the one way window and glared unhappily at the shadows on the other side. He had no idea what they were saying but the atmosphere in the room seemed to change as the scientist entered.

"So?" Asked the general who then glanced at a man holding a rather large black briefcase. "Do we need to go in and eliminate the threat?"

The scientist shook his head replying, "No, that thing in her is no threat, if anything it's our way to winning this war against Eve. The child in Melissa is advanced...evolved, and very human. It has the Eve mitochondria in it, but it leeches off them using them, fusing them, changing them. It is like gene cannibalism, using the parts it can. I have never seen anything like it but this could be...bigger then Eve herself. She wants to evolve...well humanity just jumped ahead of the game. When that kid matures it will be capable of stopping Eve...and maybe reversing what she has done. It could even destroy her all together, who knows. All I am saying is that we have to keep an eye on Melissa. No one can harm her, this is our chance general, this is humanity fighting back."

"A weapon against Eve...hmmm, so what do you suggest we do, keep surveillance on her until the babies born then take it in for training?"

The scientist shook his head again, "Oh god no, if we did that the kid would probably end up with trauma, besides it won't need training. It will be born to fight Eve; it's in its genes. We let the parents take care of it until it is old enough...and then they join MIST. It's simple and everyone is happy."

The general smiled as he looked through the window as Melissa and Zander, "So we know who gave her the mitochondria...even if Melissa herself has no trace of it...that we know of, but who has the mutation that possibly made the kid that way?"

"I would assume the mother sir, but we could test the father in the event he contributed to this as well. Now that I think of it he has a son elsewhere as well. We could get a hold of the boy and test him as well. He just got out of the hospital three months back, as far as I can see he's normal, but then again they doctors were giving him a liver transplant, not looking to see if he was the next generation of human."

"Yes do that will you, I need to know if Zander is possibly a valuable."

Zander helped Melissa off the medical table and looked at the door that Aya was holding open for them. He joked to Melissa, "So Terry's fine then right?"

"So long as you don't plan on actually naming her Terry."

"Her? How would you know?"

"I glanced at the charts, they did a chromosome test...I noticed the gender was female. At least we know we won't have a womanizing son."

Aya seemed amused by Melissa's joke and turned her head to hide a smile. She then glanced back at Zander and said, "Well Zander I knew from day one you were going to fall for her, I told you that you would, why else would you be so interested in helping her. Anyways I am happy you are getting your life together, and I see a kids not the only thing you're looking forward to. When is the wedding?"

Zander scratched his head and smirked a little, "Well umm...sooner then I thought. I was pushing for it in the fall, but by then Melissa won't fit into a wedding dress...maybe oh...next month."

Aya shrugged, "Well then your funeral would around June then. You can't pull a wedding off in a month."

From the look on Melissa's face she seemed to agree with Aya completely. Zander on the other hand had it all figured out, "Well I plan on getting it done before mood swings start to screw up my head."

"Who's Melissa's or yours?" Joked Aya.

"Both, and I was going to hire a wedding planer so Melissa dose not have to get stressed out about the whole thing. I mean you already have the opera to deal with...and the more stress would be bad for you."

As they walked down a hall the scientist ran up behind them flagging down Aya. He pulled her aside and told Zander and Melissa to go ahead. "There's a car waiting out front to take you home, Aya will be along shortly." He turned to Aya keeping his voice down, "Since the Ark thing has been cleared over you have been asked to do something very important. Keep an eye on Melissa; it has nothing to do with Eve...well sort of. Anyways that baby...it may be able to destroy her, and I mean for good, her influence everything. That kid is humanity fighting back and we can't risk anything happening to it."

Aya replied quietly, "Got it, do we expect any unfriendly visits?"

"I'll just say keep your eyes open. If we do get any I don't think Melissa could defend herself...but on the other hand she might not have to. The kid may defend her itself. Like I said, it is a peculiar thing, humanity fighting back and its going to fight."


	11. The Mighty Max

The Mighty Max: Chapter Eleven

It was his third birthday; he had been out of the hospital now for some time and was happy to be a big boy now that he was three. His mother sat in the kitchen with her new boyfriend getting his birthday cake ready. It was just the three of them but he had wondered if his daddy would come too. His mother's boyfriend walked in his dark hair and dark eyes, tanned skin big guy who could probably pull someone apart. "Hey there slugger." He said to little Max sitting in his chair. Max was brilliant for his age; the doctors at the hospital had said he had the IQ of a six year old. That was a big deal apparently since he had only been two when they said that, now he was a big boy, a whole three years old.

Looking up at Daniel his mothers boyfriend he replied, "I'm not a slugger…I am a boy." His big innocent blue eyes looked up at the man, his face pale and round, his hair short and blond just like his fathers. He was rather lean for a little boy and he was pretty tough at that. His body had taken his new liver in with strides, he was suppose to be dead right now but he had healed so quickly it amazed them all. Max just watched Daniel as he sat down at the table while his mother just as blond as him with hazel eyes walked in holding a home made chocolate cake. His mother had always been the best at making things.

She smiled down at him with that beautiful smile of hers making him jump around in his chair and smile back up at her. "Happy birthday my big strong boy." She spoke to him. Her voice was so sweet and so soft, her smile bright and warm. She was a very pretty woman, the sort who did not look as if she would be living in a small house in the middle of a bad neighborhood. When she set the cake down Max leaned up over the table looking down at the blue letters over the white frosting, it read 'Happy Birthday Maximus.' He didn't like being called by his full name it was Roman or something like that, his father had given him his name. Something about a very powerful guy in history, when he was older he would look into it but he needed to have a library card first to use the library computers.

"I love you mommy." He squeaked reaching up to her for a hug. She bent down wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Max could never be happier, he loved him mommy so much, he promised to keep her safe from all the bad men that lived by them. His daddy worked to beat up the bad guys and one day Max wanted to beat up the bad guys too. He wanted to grow up to be just like his daddy and now that he was three he could start to be a police officer. His mommy even said she would get him the uniform and everything for his birthday.

"I love you too Maxy." She replied. Standing back up she walked over to a cupboard pulling out a wrapped box from one of the drawers. "You can open this after you blow out your candles alright." Setting the box on the table Max jumped around with excitement; it was probably the uniform just like she had said. He smiled with such glee as they sang him his birthday song and with one powerful breath Max put out all his candles at once, all three of them. "Okay now you can open your present."

She didn't even need to say it again before he was ripping at the red and blue rapping with such joy. He was like a lion on a fallen antelope. Using his teeth to break the red ribbon he pulled the box open letting a blue police shirt fall to the ground. He let the box sit there for a moment looking over the black pants and black belt that held a fake toy gun. On the other side of the belt was a pair of toy hand cuffs and on the blue shirt was that familiar police badge that he had remembered playing with as a baby. "Mommy, mommy, I wana put it on…can I put it on…I wana go catch those bad guys." He cried with excitement already pulling off his dinosaur shirt and slipping on the blue police shirt.

"Hold on let me help you there buddy." Daniel said pulling the pants and belt out of the box.

"I want mommy to help me, not you Daniel. Mommy can you help me?" His shirt was on backwards as he struggled to get his hands through the sleeves. Lily helped situate the shirt on him turning it the right way and helping him into his pants before letting him put on his own belt. All dressed up Max started laughing pulling the gun from his belt and aiming it at Daniel. "Bam bam you dead Daniel now you have to go to jail."

"But if I am already dead then how do I go to jail?"

Max growled at him a little, "yes, you would know about jail wouldn't you…I'm going to go play outside at the park with my friends mommy. I'll come back for cake I want to show Zack and Bradley my new uniform they can be the bad guys."

Lily put a hand over her chest and begged, "Please be careful honey, don't get hurt."

"I won't mommy, I won't get hurt again." He assure running off outside.

Latter that night Max laid in bed, he had refused to take off the uniform choosing to sleep in it. Belt, gun and all…just like his daddy. He use to sleep with Betsy under his pillow. He stayed awake listening to Daniel working in his office, his blue eyes wandered over to the little fish tank focusing on his three goldfish swimming around happily nipping at drifting flakes that he had put in there just moments ago. His face slowly turned out to his window looking up at the large pale moon gazing in at him so silver and round. It reminded him of the silver dollar his father had, the lucky one he had gotten from his grandfather.

Max missed his daddy; he didn't want to tell his mommy, he knew she might get upset if he did. Instead he snuggled his little white rabbit stuffed animal that his father had given him when he was just born. It was his favorite toy of all, it even had Max stitched into its ear just for him. Closing his eyes he held back a tear not wanting to cry over not seeing his daddy and listened to Daniel typing on the computer in the next room. He could hear the familiar clacking of the keys and then the hard tapping of the backspace key. Daniel wrote for newspapers, he was always up late trying to write out a good story.

Suddenly Max noticed it falling quiet for a moment. He opened his eyes wondering if Daniel was going to go to bed so he could go onto the computer and see if he could figure out his password to find out what his daddy was doing. Perhaps those doctors had underestimated him, Max seemed a lot smarter then just a little six year old, he knew things some grown ups didn't even know. One of the things he knew was that ever since a few weeks ago he felt…something else always with him. Like someone was always watching over him but they were so distant, she was so distant but he could hear her giggle. He called her Lydia, his imaginary friend for the most part.

As the silence came into the other room he could hear a whisper making him sit up in bed looking around. In the next room Max jumped when the chair crashed to the ground and he realized Daniel was groaning quietly as if he were hurt. Pulling the blankets off himself he picked up his rabbit and whimpered, "It's okay Benny it's probably nothing." His feet moved quietly over the ground as he moved to his door turning the knob and looking down the hallway. He could see the computer room door was open just a little letting out the beam of blue light from the computer screen.

He stepped out quietly knowing Daniel would get angry if he knew he was awake. Tucking the stuffed toy under his arm he drew his gun aiming it at the crack of the door with shaky hands as strange groaning sounds moved out into the hallway. Opening it just a little more with the barrel of his toy gun he took a look inside to see Daniel on his knees, blood dripping out of his mouth. Max nearly screamed when he saw his spine rip out of his shirt with large spikes extending from the base, his teeth became razor sharp while his mouth ripped open making it stretch from ear to ear.

His fingers turned to long sharp claws and his feet becoming more dog like then human feet. Max nearly dropped his gun while jumping away from the door running back down the hallway to his mothers room crying, "Mommy, mommy, Daniel is a monster." He put his gun back throwing open her bedroom door with tears in his eyes. Looking past the tears making his vision slightly blurry he looked up to see his mothers face on the body of another monster that looked like a big cat with no skin and her very human face, her long blond locks hanging down from the pale bloody face.

Max let out a scream as the monster looked at him with a loud snarl. His attention fell on her as more tears filled his eyes and he cried out, "Mommy…mommy…mommy." The monster didn't seem to recognize him as it leapt from the bed, its skeletal tail flicking back and forth. His bright blue eyes widened with fear as he turned back down the hallway and started running away from the creature. His feet carried him down to the kitchen as he hunted frantically for anything to hide in. Crawling into a cupboard he curled up whimpering in fear rolling his knees into his chin.

Peeking through the cupboard door he could see the monster who had been his mother walking through the kitchen sniffing around for him. His trembling was made only worse by the thought that his only protector was the monster now. In one fast motion the beast lunged forward ripping the cupboard door off the hinges and snarled at him with its razor sharp fangs. Letting out a loud scream Max's pupils grew larger filling up almost the whole of his eye until the only blue color that could be seen was a small sliver smothered by oceans of black.

The monster jumped back shakings it head in pain as his eyes remained fixed on it. The nostrils of the monster started to bleed while Max cried out in an almost high pitched cry making the windowpanes shake violently. At any second it seemed they would shatter from the sound of his voice until he found himself fall silent again. The monster's eyes started bleeding as it regained its awareness and lunged at him. Swatting a paw at him he found himself scratched across the chest letting out a cry in pain. Its long claws flying at him.

Catching its grizzly looking hand Max held onto it, his eyes still large as the pupils flickered a vibrant red, "I love you mama." He spoke to her, the monsters eyes growing wider while its jaw swung open in a loud screeched and its body began to shiver and shake, blood oozing from its mouth until it fell to the ground lifeless. The back of its skull looked as if it had been blown out seeming like it had been shot put the hole was far to large. Its brains covered the floor, turned to a thick liquid. Max sat there shaking still holding its claw in his hand as he whimpered with a blank glazed over stair, "Mommy…mommy…mommy…mommy."

His attention was only taken off of her dead smiling face the moment the second creature showed up with fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Letting out a scream he heard a gun shot watching the monster fall over while its red sticky blood splattered all over his face. He could see three men standing in the doorway of the house all of them with big guns. He could read the letters on their uniforms reading MIST. Slowly the men made there way over to him speaking in a calm tone, "Maximus Chase we are here to take you to safety, come with us we'll go find your father."

Max sat there trembling afraid of the men until one of them reached down for him and put a hand around his shoulder scooping him out if the cupboard and holding him tightly, "It's okay kid we got you know your safe." He tried to carry the boy away but he refused to let go of his mothers hand no matter how deformed and leathery the flesh was. The man tried a few timed to pull it away from him but the Max just stared off into the distance with a blank glazed look. Finally the man just ripped the hand away from him as Max buried his bloody face into his white rabbit.

Looking down at him the other men walked over kicking at the mother. One of the men spoke up, "What the hell happened here?"

"I don't know, we'll ask questions latter."

"Look the kids hurt." One of the men pointed at his ripped up bloody shirt. When they took a closer look they saw three pale marks on his skin but no deep cuts even if it was apparent he had been recently scratched. "We'll have to take him back and run some tests. I think the doctor was right about this one. Keep an eye on him, it's okay kid we'll take you home, it will all be alright." Max didn't listen; he just continued to stare blankly at the dead body of what had once been his mother, the creature he had somehow killed.


	12. A New Family Life

A New Family Life: Chapter Twelve

Max sat in the waiting room rubbing his arm, the doctors had taken some of his blood and had given him some shots not telling him why. Then they had done a whole bunch of tests on him without saying why. It was like going to the doctors for a checkup only there more things they had been checking up on. They promised that his daddy would be there to pick him up soon now that the brain doctor had asked him all those questions and had him look at those funny looking pictures. It was something about seeing if he was mentally damaged by what happened.

Even Max knew pictures could not tell you if a child had a broken heart. He had done something very naughty, he had killed his own mommy and he could not bring her back to life. The doctors all said his mommy was already dead and that the monster was not his mommy but Max knew what his mommy looked like and even if that monster was not her it shared her body so it must have shared her soul too. His head hung low Max kicked his feet letting some tears quietly move down his face. He just wanted to see his daddy and go home. They had taken his clothes but let him keep Benny the Bunny but only because he had screamed so loud when they took him away that some glass containers shattered.

He looked down at the bunny seeing his mother's blood still staining one of the ears. His icy blue eyes focused on the hollow black eyes of Benny. He worse light colored blue jeans a dark blue shirt the doctors had given him along with white sneakers. He didn't know why they knew his size but they did and it seemed a little creepy to him. Sitting there lost in his own mind he brushed some tears from his eyes whimpering to himself, "Mommy, mommy was a monster…mommy, I tried to bring you back but I let go…I could have saved you but I let go. I'm sorry let go, I'm so sorry mommy…mommy…mommy I love you mommy."

"MAX" His head moved up as a familiar voice came to his ears. Through his tears he saw his daddy running down the hallway towards him. Max jumped off his chair running down to him with fear and sorrow crying out at the top of his lungs.

"Daddy, daddy…oh god daddy, daddy never let me go…I'm so sorry daddy I couldn't save her…daddy please make her come back please." Zander took his little boy up in his arms holding him tight and brushing a hand through his hair. He felt his son's tears run over his shoulder, his heart aching at the sound of his son's words and the sorrow and fear in his voice. "Daddy…mommy's gone…mommy's a monster, I killed her…I so sorry." His little chest heaved violently with each desperate cry holding his father tighter.

"It's okay Maxy, it's alright I've got you now. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I want there for you." Zander felt tears roll down his own face as he held his son tighter knowing he was sorry for more then just this, he was sorry he was not there when he was in the hospital, he was sorry for not keeping him safe. Looking up over his father's shoulder he watched as a pretty woman walked closer to them, she had long chestnut hair and warm brown eyes filled with so much sympathy for the scene before her.

Melissa stopped just behind them not wanting to intrude on the meeting of son and father for fear she would get in the way. As Max sobbed clinging to his rabbit Zander turned around to face Melissa and slipped the toddler into her arms asking. "Could you hold him while I sign him out?"

"Certainly, it's going to be okay Max." She whispered brushing his head lightly.

"Maxy this is Melissa, it's okay she will watch you until I get back."

Max pulled on his sleeve looking over at his father with pleading eyes begging him not to go. Still Zander pushed his hand away patting him lightly on the head as he turned to walk away. Max nearly burst into tears again until Melissa let him rest his head on her shoulder. He was still a little confused at this point closing his eyes and imagining it was his mother holding him and rocking him gently. Then he realized something, the presence that had felt so far away felt so close now and that alone comforted him as if some unspoken voice reached out and told him he was no longer alone.

After resting there for a moment with his eyes closed he found himself fast asleep not knowing what happened between the time he was in the hospital until the time he woke up in the morning tucked away in his own little bed where his old bedroom in daddy's house use to be. He was in his warm fleece dinosaur pajama's holding Benny close to his face only to see the bloodstain from his mother. Letting go of the rabbit he remembered what had happened the night before and burst out into tears letting all the trauma settle on him.

Melissa walked into his room carrying a tray with breakfast on, a bowl of cereal and some toast since honestly she had no idea what he liked and that was all they had in the house at the moment. Setting the tray down on his nightstand she rushed over scooping him up in her arms. Unlike before Max just pushed her away and crawled to the other side of his bed crying, "I want my daddy."

She knew this was where things were going to get rather complicated. "Your daddy is at work right now, we figured you wouldn't mind coming to work with me."

Max stopped crying knowing there was no way he would be able to get his daddy no matter how hard he cried. He was smarter then most kids his age and he didn't want to disturb his daddy for fear he would give him away again. Looking over at Melissa he tilted his head to the side feeling that presence again. Rubbing his eyes lightly he asked her with a little confusion on his face, "Who are you?"

She sat down on the bed fixing his pillow and looking down at the rabbit, she would have to clean it for him, the blood stain was rather disturbing, "I am Melissa Pearce, your father's fiancée."

Max just looked down at his blankest, he knew what that meant, Daniel had been his mommies fiancé before he turned into a monster. He blinked a few times hearing the little giggle in his head, his eyes shooting back up at Melissa. "Are you going to have a baby?"

Melissa seemed shocked, Zander had told her that max was a lot brighter then normal children his age, but how he knew this she had no idea. "Yes…actually I am."

"Is it yours and my daddy's?"

"Yes."

"Oh." He looked back down at his blankets this time running a finger over them feeling like he had somehow been replaced. His icy blue eyes looked back at Melissa as he whimpered lightly, "I'm hungry." She finally smiled feeling a little less…unwanted and picked up the tray setting it next to him. Looking down at the cereal he squirmed a little, "I don't like that kind…it's not colorful."

Melissa just tilted her head to the side slightly, "Alright…when we go shopping then you can pick out some more cereal and whatever you like to eat then."

He picked up the toast looking it over before taking a bite and asking still full of questions, "What do you do…where do you work?"

She ran a hand over her black skirt glancing over to the bare walls and then smiled back at him, "I am an opera singer, I work at a big theater house. Right now we are doing Magic Flute…I play the Queen of the Night. Have you ever heard opera before?"

"You mean like Madam Butterfly?"

"Yes just like Madam Butterfly…where did you ever hear that?"

"At the library, when mommy was at work I would stay there and read."

Melissa sat back a little confused and slightly startled. Read, he must have been joking, he was only three and he had only just turned three. For a moment she had forgotten she was even talking to a three year old by how mature and smart he was. "Read…but you're only…your just three."

"So what's your point, and Albert Einstein was horrible in school but that didn't stop him from being a brilliant mind." He fell silent leaving Melissa with a baffled look on her face and a hint of shock on her face. "Does it hurt?"

She snapped out of her near trance as his voice returned to a childish tone again, "Does what hurt?"

"Does dieing hurt? I didn't want mommy to hurt when she had to die…it was all my fault…I did it to her, I hurt her." He burst into tears again curling up into a ball and pulling Benny closer to his chest from where he was sitting. Melissa could hear her cell phone ringing in the next room and put her hand on his back rubbing it lightly.

"I'll be right back darling…it will all be alright." She got up walking over to the door before turning around and looking at him again, "Don't worry, dieing is like falling asleep. She didn't feel any pain, she just went to sleep." Walking out of his bedroom she ran to her phone and quickly picked it up, "Hello?"

"Melissa…hey how is Max?" Asked Zander on the other side.

She looked over her shoulder at his bedroom and replied with a sad tone, "Not good, he is pretty sad; you should have stayed home with him today. Besides I don't think he likes me…and he can be rather…unnerving…not that he is bad he is just…strange."

"Nah, he'll be alright, I think it best he spend some time with you losing his mother and everything. You two just need some quality time, get to know each other then I am sure he will warm up to you. Besides you are probably the best person for him to talk to right now. You know what this sort of thing is like."

"Yes but come home early so he can spend time with you too."

"Okay I will…love you hun."

"Love you too." With that the phone hung up on the other side and Melissa found herself horrible alone with a little boy and not even having the slightest clue of what children liked to do. She was going to be a horribly boring mother and probably not the best one but she figured trying to figure out Max was a good start.


	13. Quality Time

Quality Time: Chapter Thirteen

Everyone moved around on stage trying to get into place as the director yelled and ordered people about. Max was not too intoned with what was happening up on stage, he just sat there in the front row kicking his feet back and forth looking down at Benny and petting him lightly. "I wana go home Benny." Max cried to the rabbit.

On stage the director yelled at everyone, "Alright quiet we are going to run through Queen of the Night once. Silent on stage and backstage." Max's eye rose up to the stage watching Melissa walk up with her black skirt and black long sleeved shirt looking rather creepy in character. It was not a dress rehearsal but she still tried to look like some evil queen. Max saw her as an evil queen anyways so she didn't have to try hard to convince him. Another younger girl who played her daughter came onto the stage as well sitting down by a fountain.

Once everyone was quiet Melissa started speaking in German to the girl speaking her lines at first. Max did not understand what she was saying but he had still managed to follow the plot quit a bit. His interest was pulled away from the stage again standing up and looking up at the box seats. He wanted to go to a box seat up high; maybe Melissa would let him go up there later on. He began walking down the isle when his head spun around hearing a powerful voice begin to sing. It was Melissa, his eyes grew wide making his feet stop as he watched her moved around the girl playing her daughter and singing to her with such fire and anger.

He quickly found himself sitting on the ground listening with his rabbit in his arms and his head tilted sideways. She was much better then his mommy, she use to sing him to sleep but she never sound anywhere as good as that. Max locked his attention on the stage now watching with great interest everything happening; maybe Melissa was not as evil as he made her out to be. Besides if his daddy loved her then she must be nice and it was not her fault his daddy made her have a baby…it was his fault. He knew how his daddy could be.

His big blue eyes sparkled as she sang; he liked this kind of singing a lot. His little mind worked with the German words as he smiled to himself and looked at the ground whispering to himself, "Gutten Aben vatter ich liebe dich." Max let out an excited squeak jumping a little at his own brilliant mind. He could speak German now too…this was going to be a fun and useful skill. Then he wondered if Melissa could speak German, at least she could sing it.

When the singing was all done the director walked around giving pointers to everyone. Max watched as Melissa looked up from the stage and smiled down at him, she seemed a little worried since he had made his way down the isle and was sitting very close to where the theater was left unlit. Since the director did not seem to be talking to her she moved backstage making her way to a flight of stairs that took her out into the rows of seats. Picking her skirt up lightly she walked over to where Max was now laying down watched the people on stage and got down to his level picking him up in her arms. "Careful don't go so far back Max, don't want you to get lost dear, it's a very big building."

She was so worried about him just like his mother use to be, just thinking about how nice his mother was made tears work up in his eyes. Melissa must have taken the tears as something she had said for a moment latter she patted him on the back, "Oh it's okay I'm not mad at you Max, just don't want you to get lost here." She seemed to be alright with children even if half the time she had no idea what she was doing. The closest thing she had ever had to caring for a child was watching someone's pet cat. Carrying him over to the stage she let him walk around among the actors and actresses before having one of the male cast member's help her back onto the stage herself.

"Ha, the kids pretty cute Melissa, is he yours?" The man asked her looking down at Max and ruffling his hair. Max shrank away from him and hid behind Melissa seeing as she was the only person he knew here. He clung to her skirt acting rather shy and hide his face with his white rabbit.

"No, he's Zander's son, I don't have any kids…yet…well one on the way we know that much. This is Max…he is rather shy if you haven't noticed. It's okay Max you can say hello." Max continued to hide his face in his rabbit and looked down at the stage, it's glossy black surface smiling back up at him.

"Hmm…funny because I thought he sort of looked a little like you. He has the same eyes…only blue. Oh well I have been wrong before."

Max whimpered out a little sheepish as he spoke, "No…Melissa is not my mommy…my mommy is prettier and nicer, she is an angel now up in heaven." Melissa could feel that rejection he projected on her so tactfully when she had just started to hope he was finally getting around to like her more. Max walked a little ways away from her looking back at her almost with a judgmental gaze and looking into her eyes. "I don't look anything like her, I look like my mommy."

The man looked over to Max as he walked backstage almost holding back his tears and looked back to Melissa, "What was that all about?"

"He just lost his mother a few nights ago; he still is suffering the trauma of it. I should go talk to him now." Swiftly she moved across the stage nearly bumping into the director trying to avoid him so he would not stop her and start up yelling at her as well. Finding Max sitting down in the hallway backstage near all the dressing rooms she kept quiet until he shot an angry glare up at her.

"Go away Melissa…I hate you…I hate you."

She didn't understand what would be the cause of his hate, was it something she said, something she did. "Why?" Was all she was able to say looking at the poor child as he rested his head on his knees and whimpered to himself.

"Because you can't replace my mommy, no one can…you can't take her away from me…you can't take away my mommy…I love her not you…you can't take her away...you already took my daddy away."

Melissa felt sorry for him, she didn't mean to try and replace her or anything. Kneeling down in front of him she put her hands out on the ground and replied choking a little on her own words trying to keep herself from crying. She had to admit it hurt her a little that he saw her in that sort of light, "I would never try to replace your mommy and I would never take your daddy away from you." She was silent for a moment. "I know what it feels like to lose a mommy and a daddy; I would never want anyone to feel like I did. Max I'm sorry your mommy died but I don't want to take her place from her ever because she was your mommy and she was special to you and always will be. I just don't want you to have to suffer alone Max, it's not fair for a little boy to be so alone."

Max looked up from his knees over at her sniffling a little and rubbing his eyes lightly, "You lost your mommy too?" He whimpered his eyes red and puffy.

"Yes I did and my daddy when I was little. I had to live with my aunt after that. I know how much it hurts and how bad you feel but you still have your daddy and Max he loves you so much. You can cry for your mommy forever or you can look around and see those who still love you and love them as much as you can while you can. I know for a fact your mommy will always be watching you and always love you with all her heart and no one will ever take her place or be as good as her and no one ever should be."

Max looked up towards the ceiling as if he was hoping to see his mothers face smiling down at him. A child as brilliant as he was and still he had hope that there was a heaven and hell and that his mommy belonged in the better place. Yet he belonged in the bad place for killing her. "But I could have saved her…instead I made her die."

"No Max, I know about what happened to her, there was nothing you could do, what you did you did in self defense so you would not die too. That thing was not your mommy; it was something evil called Eve. Eve killed your mommy not you, I know because she almost killed me too. She made me into a monster but I fought her and I lived just like you did even if we both had to hurt someone we loved to survive. If anything you saved her from Eve and what she might have made her do."

Max held his rabbit closer, his small frame shaking as he let her words sink in. She was right, what would his mother have done, who would she have killed if he had not stopped her. He felt he had done the right thing but that guilt still plagued him, guild a small child his age should never have to feel. Falling forward almost weakly he put his arms around Melissa laying in her lap, his face hidden in her side as he clung to her shirt sobbing hard. Melissa leaned into the wall picking him up and hugging him as he screamed random babble into his shirt.

Vincent the director marched backstage into the hallway looking for her with a rather angry look on his face. Rounding the corner he spoke with a harsh tone, "Melissa?" The moment he spoke he found himself hushed by her as she rocked the distort little boy back and forth trying to calm him down. If one thing good in her had Eve left it was being more maternal now then before. It was that or either the fact that she was made more maternal because she was pregnant, either way Eve had left an enemy in her.

Vincent backed up giving them more space and shook his head in understanding. He had a little boy at home; he knew how it could be. Holding Max ad drying his tears made Melissa wonder herself if the creature she had created under the control of Eve could have ever been a normal child, if she could have been holding him in her arms and drying his tears or if he had been born for evil alone. It made her feel even worse then before. She had no feeling towards that creature, no sorrow but she felt she had lost something she might have loved.

Max looked up at her resting his head on her shoulder and spoke still shivering from his violent sobs, "No Melissa, you saved him too…what else might he have done…did he even have a soul to lose? He was not really your son; he belonged to no one…not even Eve. He was a whole new being that no one would ever have understood and he was alone. Who would he have had to understand him…who would have been his friend? I use to think I was alone too…but I won't be alone now. Now I'll have her."

Max snuggled Melissa more closing his eyes as if to fall asleep. She was stunned again by this child, how had he known about that? He was not even in New York when that had happened; he was already gone with his mother. She had known there was something different about Max but now she wanted to know what it was. Had it been something to do with his new liver or was he like this before then and if so why? Not being alone anymore…her…was he talking about her baby? They had said she would be normal but did they tell her the truth? Was her baby like Max…was she going to be just as smart and read minds or whatever it was he did? How would she live with that, two mind reading supper human children?

It had something to do with Zander, Max was not related to Melissa and it was Zander who was his parent, either that or he had Eve in him right now. Either way she was worried, she would have to get to the bottom of this for fear Max or the baby would be hurt or worse…end up like she had.

After rehearsals Melissa took him to the store so he could pick out something he might like. Walking down the isles she let him ride on the front of the shopping cart since it seemed to make him happy. So long as he was not crying anymore she was happy. Max seemed to be humming the songs they had been singing, he seemed to have a pretty voice and from his crying a strong set of lungs even for a kid his age but then again Max could not be compared to most children his age. They were mostly all trying to figure out how to talk properly, not reading Einstein's work.

She felt a little sick and tired for a moment fearing her immune system was shutting down until she realized it was just morning sickness. Why they called it that was beyond her since it lasted all day. Max jumped off the cart running over to some shelves and pulled some cereal off the shelf. "Can I have this Melissa?"

It was far from healthy but if it made him happy she would let him have it, "Sure Max you can get it."

He threw it into the cart before jumping back on and asking, "Are there still monsters in New York…there are some in LA did you know that…I know because I live there. Why are the monsters showing up there, you weren't in LA were you?"

Melissa fell silent for a moment; she had no idea why there were 'monsters' in LA, she was not a member of MIST surprisingly, just one of their lab rats and after what Max had done he was likely just like her. There had been some speculation of a new Eve but there was no proof of that and besides the appearance of these new creatures were so rare and far between they honestly had nothing to go off. Besides everyone was far to busy in New York still doing the clean up from the mess Eve had left. "I don't know about LA but there might be more left here. Don't worry the good guys are going to get them all."

Max's eyes looked up into hers, "Do you ever hear them or feel them? I do sometimes…they are looking. I am sure they feel you sometimes. They are looking for whoever made them I think they are angry now that no one controls them. I fell them sometimes when they die, they can't live forever like that, they are falling apart and they want to get you for it but it's okay Melissa I won't let them hurt you or my little sister."

She was disturbed by how much he knew, he knew everything it seemed. He 'felt' too much around him, so unnatural what force had created a child like him? "No I can't say I do…Max are you alright…do you need to see a doctor? If you feel sick or anything I can bring you right now."

"No need Melissa, I'm alright, I feel better now then I ever have. I was very sick in the hospital but now I am alright see?" He lifted up his shirt and pointed the small white line that marked where he had been cut up for his new liver. It had healed so perfectly it seemed amazing, then there were three white marks on his side where his mother had scratched him, clean and perfectly healed, not even a scar just incredibly white skin. "I don't ever get sick either. My mommy said it was because I was a strong boy."

"Did anyone ever say where you got your liver from?"

Max pulled his shirt back down and shook his head no, "But I remember what her life was like before she died. She passed out in her car and crashed it. She was very sick…I think she had something wrong in her brain…those people who start shaking when they see flashing lights. She had that, a light was broken and it flashed and she passed out. I almost died after they put it in…but then I got better really fast I always get better fast."

"Do you ever feel dizzy or like you have a fever?"

"Nope…I am not infected if that is what you think. Where would it come from? It can't come out of thin air…it does not work like that."

"And you know how it works?"

"Nope…but others might."

"Others?"

Max got really quiet picking up the cereal and looking it over. "I don't want this one…I want a different one. Let me go find it okay…I'll be right back."

That night back at the apartment Max had changed into his alien pajama's and taken a flashlight and a glass of water into his bedroom. Zander was not yet home and Max kept talking about bringing a knife to bed with him for him and Benny. Melissa refused trying to convince him he would get hurt if he did but he continued to be persistent. He kept saying 'just in case' as if he knew something bad was going to happen sooner or later. It made Melissa rather uptight.

When Zander finally came home he was attacked by the three year old leaping up into his arms and screaming out with joy, "DADDY!!!!!!!!!!! Daddy I missed you, I thought you were never coming home."

Zander held onto him with one arm as she tried to shut the door with his foot. "Hey Sport of course I would come home, what you think I would leave you and Melissa here all alone. You two would probably burn the place down. Come on Buddy it's your bedtime, I have work off tomorrow so it can be a day just for me and you while Mel goes to work okay Tyke, need some rest."

Max squirmed out of his arms running over to his room, "Are we going to the ball park…can we go to the zoo? Wait I don't want to go to the zoo yet not until ALL the monsters are dead. Lets go to a museum and look at the dinosaurs…I love the dinosaurs." His voice trailed off as he ran for his covers and threw Benny on his pillow.

Melissa called out after him in a sweet tone still trying to get him to like her, "You want me to tuck you in Maxy?"

It fell silent in his room for a minute, she walked closer to the door looking in at him, his face turned away from her, "No…I want daddy to tuck me in…and Melissa, don't call me Maxy, only my mommy and daddy can call me that, no one else." She wanted to slap her forehead and scream in her bathroom. She could never get this right, she was always going to mess up with him.

"Alright I'll go get your father then." She replied turning away from his door and moving back into the living room.

"How are you doing hun, you okay you don't look to good?" Zander asked a little concerned.

"Oh no I am just a little tired and I feel a little…nauseous but I am fine. Everyone says I am alright but I can't help but feel a little…worried."

Zander walked over putting an arm around her and holding her tight, "It's okay your just nervous, I remember I was a train wreck when Lily was pregnant with Max, I'm even a little afraid with this one too but it all works out Mel you'll see. Just remind me to drug you when the time comes because I don't think I could take another 'natural' birth. Last one nearly had a fractured writs."

Melissa just shrugged thinking over what Max had said, either he had said it to frighten her or he was telling the truth but she wanted both of them to be watched as sure as she was, both Max and the baby. "No…I am sure it's something else, this is not my first child ever…well actually it sort of is, maybe your right and I just worry to much. Either way your son wants you to tuck him in." She kissed him on the cheek before following him to the door.

Waiting back at his doorway she hid in the hallway a little while Zander tucked the little boy in talking to him about what they might do the next day. She smiled while Zander ruffled his hair and tickled him making Max squirm and giggle. He was a good dad; she could not believe his ex would ever take Max away from him. Finally he tucked him in pulling the blankets up over him and looking under his bed and then in the closet to convince him nothing bad was dwelling within those dark areas of his room. "Night Sport." Zander said kissing him on the forehead and walking past Melissa, "I'll take a quick shower alright."

She nodded her head lightly turning from the door when suddenly she caught Max's voice calling over to her, "Melissa…can you sing me a song?" Melissa turned on her heels looking down at him with that little white rabbit tucked under his arm.

"Certainly, what kind of song?" She walked into his room sitting at the foot of his bed.

"I don't care, a pretty song. My mommy use to sing me to sleep, it was the only way I could sleep but she didn't sing as good as you. Can you sing to me?"

"Okay."


	14. Wedding Crashers

Wedding Crashers: Chapter Fourteen

It was probably suppose to be the happiest day of her life but she felt sicker then she had ever felt in all her life. Holding her hair back she was leaning over the toilet praying this was the last time she was going to throw up for the rest of her life. After this she was never having another kid ever again. Her best friend Emily waited outside for her to help zipper up the back of her wedding dress and Aya even seemed to be here for the occasion especially since she always had a watchful eye on Max who seemed so fascinating to everyone.

Zander had been a wreck in the next room as Max tried to keep him calm. Sometimes Max seemed like the adult and Zander seemed like the little boy. His son always had his head firmly on his shoulders. Despite morning sickness and Max falling asleep during the ceremony and making Zander hold him the ceremony had been pretty normal. Melissa in her elegant white dress with her flowing veil. Her chestnut locks curled and put up in an elegant fashion befitting her, she did indeed make a beautiful bride if not one who nearly fainted. Zander in his tux with hair finally for the first time actually styled rather then him just waking up and leaving it in whatever strange style it happened to be in.

Even Max had been excited about the whole thing despite falling asleep, the night before he hadn't gotten any sleep. Zander and him had spent half the night talking, she heard a little of the conversation of Zander telling him that Melissa was going to be his new mommy after this day but she would not replace his old one. Max must have believed him because he had not said anything against it. After the ceremony at the party Max had been the first to venture off playing with all the other children trying to fit in but failing. Melissa had tried to set him up with Emily's little five year old girl hoping the two would get along but it just ended with Max running to his father crying, for a smart boy he was certainly sensitive.

Aya didn't seem to have to much fun, she sat around being very serious and jumping when one of the candles fell over and set one of the table cloths on fire. Thankfully Zander's father had put it out in time. Melissa just sat at the table now feeling a little faint and wishing she could lay down in bed, she had been having fun a few minutes ago but now she had no energy left. "You alright princess?" Asked Zander sitting down next to her, "You haven't eaten anything."

"No, I'm just very tired, besides I don't feel hungry. I feel really dizzy actually, I wish I could go lay down somewhere."

"I could take you to the apartment."

"No lets not kill the party alright; I'll be fine give me some time to rest."

Zander gave her a little hug and relied, "Alright, I'll be on the dance floor if you need me, hang in there hun." Melissa watched him walk off into the crowd of people before spotting Max who seemed as pale as a ghost. He walked over to Aya sitting down next to her looking off into the distance with a blank stare. Melissa got up quickly moving towards him while he held his chest as if he were hurt. Aya looked over at Max a little confused as to why he was sitting over by her, "You looking for your dad Max?" She asked nearly scratching the back of her head.

Turning his eyes up to her slowly he gave her an almost inhuman glare, his eyes so empty and hollow as if he had seen the gates of hell and then lost his soul to it. Melissa ran over crouching down next to him, "Max, are you okay what's wrong are you hurt?" He didn't respond, only look up at her with the same emptiness.

"I don't feel good…I feel sick, I want my daddy." His words were quiet and weak as if he had been screaming and had lost his voice. Melissa moved forward to pick him up only to have him push her away, "NO, stay away from me." Jumping out of his chair he ran off towards the swarm of people on the dance floor.

Aya looked over at Melissa mouthing to herself quietly before talking to the poor baffled bride, "Wow…cute kid. Do you have any idea what his problem is, does he have split personality disorder or something?"

"No he is just very…jumpy. He gets like this sometimes. He has so many nightmares and sometimes he can't sleep so I think he sort of dreams while he is awake." No she just didn't want to admit that he was different then normal children and that he knew things most people didn't. It was odd since she had only known Max for a month but she had become incredibly protective over him during that time and saw him as her own son. The last thing she wanted was MIST pulling him apart DNA strand by DNA strand. His life had already been hard enough.

The loud music was starting to get to her, it was a little annoying and that was just made worse when the chicken dance came on. Clawing at the fabric of the table cloth a little she growled, "I told him I would not allow this music. I should have known he would still play this song because I hate this song most of all."

Aya replied with a sarcastic tone, "Well sounds like love to me. Nothing better then giving your monster bride the song she hates most on her wedding day. Win them all over like that."

"I'm not a monster Aya, haven't I proved that already?" Melissa replied, her voice warn down.

"Not the way you see monsters, but you are a monster all the same, not like Eve but still evil in your own way Melissa. I don't hate you but I don't like you either, why should I?"

"Because I never did anything against you…" She fell silent wondering what she had meant by that. Had Aya…had Aya had feelings for Zander? That was all she could think of, perhaps she had perhaps she hadn't. Who was she to judge she certainly could not read minds like Max. Thinking of Max she felt a little worried about the boy. Standing back up she looked down at Aya, "Well…it was pleasant talking to you but now I need to go find Max."

Walking out to the dance floor she got the sensation that reality had faded away from around her and that her soul had moved out of her body looking down at herself. The world around her went silent, even the loud music seemed to fade away. Among the silence only a quiet whisper that she could hardly hear, a few simple words barley audible to the human ear, _'There coming,' _the voice whispered. Within the next second she was back to normal looking around frantically. Who was coming, whose voice was that? Turning around Aya could see Melissa distress and quickly got up to move closer.

Zander must have seen her as well for emerging from the swarm of human bodies dancing around his bright smile had been whipped clean as Melissa rocked on her heels, her world spinning around her at alarming speed. Zander reached her just in time as she collapsed to the ground, Aya drawing a pistol out from under her dress faster then anyone could let out a gasp of surprise. "Melissa…Melissa…honey, Melissa wake up…what happened?" Zander cried out franticly trying to shake her lightly in hopes she would wake up.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly as she gazed at Zander still half dazed and half aware of her surroundings, "Where are we?" She asked before closing her eyes again and furrowing her brow. It looked to the crowd that she was trying to wake from a bad dream.

'_I feel them.' _The strange voice whispered again making Melissa jerk in Zander's arms. She gasped gripping her sides; it was like she was on fire, a sudden rush of fear coming over her as she cried out.

"Oh god…Eve."

Aya just about pulled the trigger on Melissa until Zander grabbed the barrel of her gun and held it up. "To hell you are shooting my wife and baby." As his voice carried across the room a faint sound could be heard coming from the distant. A light howl followed by barking and growling. The sound grew closer and closer until Zander set Melissa on the ground and pulled out his own pistol aiming it at French doors of the party room. The barking got closer, a strange sound that seemed rather distorted almost as if a child's cry had been morphed into this dog like sound.

It all seemed like a very bad dream as the French doors blew open, seven horrible looking hounds running into the room sending the wedding guests to scatter screaming as they took off running. The dogs were all hairless, no skinless, their spines sticking out like long sharp white pillars of bone. There jaws were extended to the point the dogs faces all looked distorted and resembled crocodiles. The paws had to have been twice the size of a regular dogs feet and their tails were split into three sections, each with a sharp barb at the end.

Aya cocked her gun firing quickly at one of the hounds and blowing a hole through its head. The monstrous dog fell back with a loud yelp as the other four launched forward chasing after the guests and heading towards them, "Split up and keep on them, don't let them out of your site."

"How do you expect me to do that, there are six more of them."

"You're not completely human right? The this should not be hard for you." Zander jumped forward aiming at another one of the hounds as it chassed down his mother. Firing a round into its hip the massive mutt fell over for a moment yelping before recovering on its feet and running towards him. Melissa tried to get up but the pain in her sides didn't seem to stop or let up for a second. One of the hounds jumped onto the DJ both and attacked the man sitting there ripping into his arm. Aya ran after it jumping to the side and firing two shots into it. One bullet ripped through the dogs chest as the other hit it in the side of the head. Dropping down silently the dog shook for a moment before melting into a pool of slim.

Zander fired another shot into his hound as it ran for him, teeth shimmering under the light of the chandeliers. His bullet ripped right through its chest blowing through the heart and dropping the hound to the ground, it's face colliding with the floor ripping it its fleshless face. It's long tongue moving across the carpet before falling still. Two of the hounds jumped up onto the tables leaping over peoples heads and jumping down on the guests snarling in anger. Aya moved off into their direction followed by Zander who was in hot pursuit of them. "Aya chief, knife, now." She seemed to understand what he was saying for the moment she passed the chief she pulled the large butcher knife from his hand with grace and speed chucking it at one of the hounds.

The knife ripped through its spin flying away from the severed cord and muscle before impaling itself into the wall. The hound slid off the table only to get a bullet through it's skull from Zander. It's massive body falling to the floor taking out a table next to it while the other hound ripped into some defenseless mans leg. Aya looked up at one of the chandeliers before glancing over at Zander, "Do it." He said agreeing with her idea. Firing the gun she had the barrel aimed at the large chandelier firing two shots a the cord holding it to the ceiling. The ceiling moaned and groaned before letting it loss crashing down on the hound.

The bloody monster let out a mournful cry shaking the walls and startling the guests even more as they struggled to escape the hall. Aya fired her last bullet into the hounds skull, it's body falling limp. Tucking he pistol back into the holster she looked over at Zander, "Where is the other two?"

Zander spun around looking through the mass of frightened people trying to locate the last two hounds. His eyes widened as he saw one backing Melissa up into a corner, it's long jaws snapping at her as the beast growled and hissed. Zander's legs coiled up letting go of the energy collected in them driving him into a burst of speed moving quicker then any human could. Without even trying he cleared a table with one leap landing on his feet and picking up his smooth stride again. Aya stood back watching with fascination as Zander slid under another table his back burning against the carpet. Almost as if he had no spine his body move back into a standing position pushing him onward yet again with his gun drawn. Falling to one knee he fired his gun hearing a clicking sound that made his heart stop, he was out of ammunition. Looking to Melissa he could read the fear in her eyes as the creature opened its massive maw and moved in meaning to kill her, it's paw rising up over her. "NO" Zander cried out unable to do anything but watch, he would not reach her in time.

Melissa kept her back pressed up against the wall unable to look away as the hound moved in to kill her. Max had been right, they all wanted her dead. Looking into the dog's cloudy white eyes she whispered, "I'm sorry." Still the primal being didn't seem to care for her words as it's paw came down. Melissa winched and made her body shrink knowing in the next second she would be dead and this was her life. Before it's claws touched her skin she saw a small flame flicker at the edge of the hounds paw. Melissa's eyes grew wide not understanding what was happening, her stomach became tense as it aches. It felt like someone was stabbing her in the side.

Putting her arms around her sides she let out a silent scream watching the hounds paw dissolve into ashes and float away. It continued up its leg and to its chest as the hound let out a howl. It's eyes started to glow a bright red before flames burst out from its skull killing it instantly, the body still turning to ash. Melissa knew she had no done it, she was in to much pain to have done something like that, someone else had done that. The moment the hounds body was completely gone the pain in her sides had stopped. Zander ran over to her throwing his arms around her and holding her upright.

Pulling out of his grip she leaned over to the side throwing up nothing but hot bile. Zander put an arm around her to help hold her up and keep her from falling face first into the sticky contents she had just let loss all over the floor. "Oh god Melissa are you alright are you hurt?"

Melissa held her stomach putting another hand over her mouth and shaking her head lightly, "No…I'm alright I…I think there's something wrong with me or I'm losing my mind but I think the baby did that."

Aya walked over looking around, "I count six Zander, there's one left."

Melissa pulled the hand away from her mouth looking around the room, "Where's Max?"

"SHIT." Zander yelled out picking Melissa up off the ground. "MAX?" He cried worried for his little son. "Shit Aya come with me…Melissa stay put don't move."

"No, I'm not going to stand around while one of those things is hunting Max."

"Why would it be hunting him?"

"That's why they are here Zander…they are hunting us…Max and me and the baby, they mean to kill us all."

"Why?"

Melissa shook her head not fully aware of how she even knew this; it was like someone had told her. "I don't know."

"Shit…MAX." Zander let her arms go looking around the room glancing under the tables. Aya ran over to the kitchen doors watching on of them swing lightly.

"Zander over here." She called out. In a moment both Zander and Melissa ran over to the kitchen in a panic while Aya kicked open the door. A small scream echoed down from the back room where the food was stored making Zander jump into action and run off. "Wait Zander...Zander wait." Melissa followed after him despite still feeling sick. Aya had no choice, they were all rushing into this without thinking, all she could do was follow and keep them alive.

Throwing open the back room door Zander carried a cooking ladle raising it up into the air ready to attack. Looking down he saw Max lying on the ground with a big dog on top of him. Screaming again Zander felt there was something off about the scream. Flipping on the light he watched as Max rolled around, a large mutt looking dog licking his face while the small boy giggled. The dog didn't seem out of the ordinary at all; in fact it had long shaggy brown fur and seemed pretty friendly. As Melissa and Aya ran up behind him Max looked over at Zander and asked, "Can we keep him?"

Zander dropped the ladle falling to his knees and pulling Max into his arms to hold him tight, "I was so afraid Max, god I thought I would lose you."

Aya asked still alert, "Where is the last one?"

"I think that is the last one…look." Melissa pointed to the dogs back leg, flesh was still growing over the thick muscles as the shaggy mutt wagged its tail happily and panted.

"What in the name of god is this?" Aya muttered in disbelief as the dog sat down licking itself and behaving like a normal dog. She could not believe it, the dog was cured.

After a few phone calls the guests were all leaving and the MIST team was already cleaning up the mess. Aya, Max, Melissa, and Zander were all being questioned as they tried to figure out just what had happened. The happy little mutt for the most part stayed around Max even as the men tried to lead it away into one of the cleanup trucks. Max refused throwing a tantrum when they tried to take away his dog, a nearby table shook as he cried in protest and the men finally agreed that the dog stay with him for the time being.

No one knew what to think or what to believe and it seemed the story just didn't add up. Finally they were all let go to join up while Aya walked off talking to a few men. Melissa walked over to Zander throwing her arms around him still feeling a little dazed while Zander tried to hold Max still in his arms. The happy little mutt following the boy like some loyal well…dog.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Melissa asked looking over to Max and putting her hand on his cheek. "Zander he feels warm, I think he's sick."

"I don't know angel, I suppose once they are done asking questions they will let us go home." Zander turned to Max looking him over as the boys eyes remained fixed on the dog, his bunny tucked under his arm. "Are you okay Buddy?" Zander brushed some of his messy blond hair out of his shimmering blue eyes.

Yawning Max looked up at him and nodded, "yes daddy…can we go home now I'm sleepy."

"Okay Tiger hold on we'll go home soon."

Mr. and Mrs. Chase I need to talk to you." Zander turned to see one of the MIST guys walking over to him.

"Yes…what do you need, we already told you everything we know."

"I know sir, but we need you to come with us…all of you."

"Why something wrong?"

Another man came up behind the first putting a dog catchers rope around the mutt and dragging it away. Max squirmed in Zander's hold reaching out for the dog and screamed, "NOO, bring him back he's mine…bring him back." Zander held him tightly as another man came up and took Melissa by the arm holding her tight.

"Hey, let me go." She cried trying to pull her arm free.

"What the hell is this all about?" He asked looking back at the first man.

"We need to take you all in for testing. Melissa might be in danger."

"Danger, why? You already tested her, she is no threat."

"Maybe not Melissa Mr. Chase but it could be a possibility. What we are more worried about is the child. We need to run the tests again just to be sure." Melissa struggled as they pulled her away and another and pulled Max out from Zander's arms. Max screamed for his daddy as the man restrained him carrying him away. "The boy too, we thin he may have caused this to happen."

"WHAT…WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TAKING THEM? Max is just a little boy he didn't do anything. Give me my fuckign family back."

"DADDY!!!" Max cried out reaching for his father.

Zander jumped forward only to have two men hold him back. "Please Mr. Chase don't make this any harder then it already is."

"Fuck you." He cried out freeing one of his arms moving in to punch the guy. He was stronger and faster then the others. They would not take him away from his family without a fight. As his hand moved to break the jerks nose he felt pain run down his spine and heard a loud crack. Everything got really blurry and then faded to black.


	15. The Truth

The Truth: Chapter Fifteen

Zander woke up alone in a dark cold room, the walls and floors were all metal, solid and pretty damn thick from the feel of it. He could feel blood running down the back of his head, those bastars must have hit him over the head. He knew Aya would get his family out of this mess, none of them had done anything wrong. His door opened letting in a sudden flood of light that made his head hurt all the more. Closing his eyes and looking away he watched as Dr. Witman walked into the room, "Hello Zander, just came in for a blood sample and to run a few tests on you."

"Where the hell is my family?"

"Now, we can discuss this latter."

"NO…now you little spineless shit where's my family?"

"Now this is not necessary Zander Chase, please don't make this harder on yourself." Zander jumped up from the ground with grace and speed launching himself at the doctor only to have two men restrain him from behind. His vision was still a little blurry and his awareness as not all there just yet. "Oh my, you really are something, so the boy must have inherited it from you but he is much more powerful. Typical for the male to try and defend its mate and offspring. I will assure you they are fine, all of them. Now this will only hurt a little." The doctor stabbed him with a needle drawing some blood while Zander growled at him. Filling the syringe with his blood he set it down on the metal tray another man was holding and smiled at Zander, "Alright Mr. Chase, just a few little tests and then you can rejoin your family."

Melissa sat in the bright white room with tears in her eyes not knowing where she was or what they were going to do to her. Her eyes looked down to the ground as she shook crying almost silently to herself. She didn't want to die here; she didn't want it all to end in this cold lifeless room. She wanted to give her daughter a fighting chance in this world; she just wanted to put this all behind her and live a normal life with Zander and their children. The door opened as the doctor who had tester her and her daughter before walked into the room. "Hello Melissa, sorry we had to meet like this on these sort of matters. I didn't want it to happen like this I promise I'll be careful to you. No one will be harmed I promise."

He spoke with such a soft calm tone it almost made her want to trust him, this Dr. Hawthorn. "Where's Max, where's Zander?" She asked trying to keep herself from shaking.

"They are both alright, you'll see them in a moment and everything will be explained to the three of you then."

"Explain to me now…what have you lied to me about, I know you have been lying to me what's wrong with me…it is Eve?"

Hawthorn looked around for a few moments to make sure no one else would hear him, "Honestly Melissa…this is over Eve's head. You know the perfect being…remember him? Not even he could match up to what Max and your little girl are going to become. Its evolution Melissa, your baby's special and we need to keep her safe. Eve truly did leave an enemy in you."

Melissa felt afraid now more then ever, she was not going to let Max and her baby get pulled into this. She didn't want them to grow up knowing monsters were real and that they themselves might be monsters. Monsters just like she had been, monsters just like Aya Brea. Two men joined the doctor in the room to escort her someplace else. Carefully they took her by the arms leading her outside like a criminal on death row being marched to the chair. Her heart raced as a few tears rolled down her cheek, her face aimed towards the floor. Here she was going along silently, handing herself over to them without even trying to defend her child. So was this how it would be, would she silently sit back as they took this life away from her…took her child away from her. Did she want to be silent, no she wanted to be heard.

As they walked her down an empty white hall she moved along for a few more steps before planting her feet into the ground and fighting back, trying to free herself. The men were obviously stronger then she was pulling her, no dragging her along with no problem but she was thinner then them and she could feel her arms slipping free from their brutish grip. Finally freeing one of her arms she spun around to run away only to have someone sweep there hand around her waist and pull her back. The second man grabbed her by her shoulders swinging his hand up as if to hit her. Dr. Hawthorn yelled out a little panicked, "Don't hurt her…are you two idiots, do you have any idea what you could have done. If you so much as leave a bruise on her arm you'll in cleanup."

The brutish men still held onto her tightly hurting her arms and know that she realized she was valuable she made it known, "Stop it your hurting me." She cried out in pain cringing under their grip on her.

A familiar voice made her jump as small sweet words reached her ear, "Stop it your hurting her." Her eyes moved to see the small blond child struggling to get away from someone who looked like a female nurse. He was looked over by his own little small army, six men in total, two of them with guns. That must have meant Max was seen as the greatest danger since she use to be Eve and she only had two MIST solders with her, neither of them armed. The nurse held onto his arm pulling him down to an opposite hallway. The men handling Melissa nearly lifted her off her feet twisting her wrist. She let out a cry falling to her knees as Max screamed even more angered then before, "Don't hurt my mommy you jerks."

Melissa looked back at him wanting to smile; did he just call her mommy? She watched him twist his arm around pulling free from the nurse as he came running for her. "Mommy…no, don't hurt her, don't hurt my mommy you big fat meanies. Let my mommy go you jerks."

One of Max's small little army men raised his pistol aiming it at the little boy. Melissa cried out pulling an arm away and holding it up, "NO…MAX…get down." Max ducked as the bullet was fired missing him by just an inch. Melissa watched as the bullet moved towards her only to see it stop. Max's face light up a bright red as his eyes remained fixed on the bullet. After a few seconds of just hovering the bullet finally fell to the ground, all eyes seemed fixed on Max.

"Mommy." He whimpered collapsing to the ground, blood running out of his nose. Melissa freed her other arm escaping her guards as she moved to pick Max up into her arms. He put his arms around her neck shaking lightly and trying not to cry, trying to be a brave little boy. "I promised I would keep you safe didn't I…I promised. I don't want to lose my mommy again. I don't want to lose you." He broke down crying into her shoulder as she rocked him gently humming to him softly.

Running her fingers through his hair she replied, "It's okay we'll get out of here I promise. I won't leave you."

"They took Benny away…I want Benny back."

"Okay we'll get you Benny back."

Dr. Hawthorn pulled his glasses off looking through them in the light before setting them back on his face and pulling at his hair. "I can't even believe how barbaric you people can be. You could have killed somebody, your lucky Max is smarter then everyone in this room combined."

The nurse ran back over taking Max out of Melissa's arms. He started thrashing and screaming as she carried him away reaching out for her, his eyes filled with fear. "No…no…no…mommy…no…I want my mommy…no let me go…no."

Melissa put a hand over her mouth choking back on her tears. His crying was bad but the look he gave her, the words were directed towards her, it was breaking her heart. As they pulled Max out of sight, the walls shaking slightly around them she felt the men lift her back on her feet. "Mrs. Chase he'll be alright."

"No he won't…don't you know what this will do to him. Don't you understand he thinks your going to kill one of us. He thinks he is never going to see me or his father again. You're killing my family and your killing me."

The testing seemed to last forever, Zander had no idea how long it had been until they released him into the small conference room. There was a clock just at the head over the table looking down across the long oak think, six black chairs on either side. A small rubber tree sat in one corner completing the boring office setting theme the room seemed to be going for with the tan carpet and boring bland cream colored walls. As the door behind him opened again Melissa stepped into the room dressed in baggy military styled pants and a tank top.

Looking over at Zander she finally broke down crying running into his arms and refusing to let him go. Zander ran a hand through her hair wanting to ask her if she was alright but she was obviously not alright in the least. She seemed horribly upset. "Do you know where Max is…is he okay?" Zander asked getting a little worried about his son.

"I don't know, they took him away, he was so scared Zander I tried to hold onto him but I couldn't." She continued to sob into his shoulder wishing they could all just go home now. A few moments latter the door opened again to have Max stumble into the room holding onto his stuffed rabbit, his eyes canning the room wildly. His eyes were puffy and red from all his crying, his small frame shaking.

Looking over to Melissa and Zander he opened his mouth as if to say something but there were no sounds he made, only silence. He ran forward throwing his arms around Melissa and holding onto her with a vice like grip. He could have choked someone to death with that grip easily. Zander bent down to pick Max up only to have the little boy push him away as he whimpered, "No…no…mommy." Melissa bent down a little picking him up off the ground and holding him. He buried his face into Benny nearly smothering himself to death as his head fell on her shoulder. His fingers wound around her long chestnut hair.

He looked over to Zander, his eyes watery and foggy making Zander think they had to drug him and the drug was likely still wearing off since he seemed so out of control of his body movements, his head rolling around just as unstable as when he was a newborn. He closed his eyes again hiding his face back in Melissa's shoulder as he cried still half asleep. Dr. Hawthorn and Dr. Witman stepped into the room now with four folders in there hands. Zander moved towards them wanting to kill them both but stopped knowing that would not be something smart to do. He just wanted to take his family home.

"Please have a seat Mr. and Mrs. Chase. We have a lot to discuss." Hawthorn said sitting down in one on the chairs, Witman sitting down next to him. Zander did just that first pulling out a chair for Melissa and then setting himself next to her. They positioned themselves so they were directly across the table from the two doctors looking them over while Max continued to whimper. Dr. Hawthorn reached into one of his pockets pulling out a sucker and handing it over to Max with a little smile, "There you go little fella. It's alright now no need to cry."

Max turned looking the red sucker over carefully before grabbing it from his hand and giving it to Melissa. As she worked at unwrapping it Dr. Witman pulled up the first file holding it in his hand. On the front it had the words Melissa Pearce writhen on it in big black letters. "I took so interest in your case alone Mrs. Chase being that Eve once had control of your body and I always did wonder how you escaped death. I honestly think you were not meant to die. Well in testing you this time around we found you still not to be infected but you have an immunity much like Aya Brea only missing the actually mitochondria of Eve. This is good news for you; this means you can live a normal life."

Max played with Melissa's hair not fully realizing what he was doing, he was acting strangely like a normal little boy. He seemed to have lost a small portion of himself through all these tests and stress. Melissa already knew that, they had told her time and time again. Handing max the red sucker. He took it happily putting it in his mouth before turning away from the doctors again. "As for Melissa's baby we have concluded that she is most certainly 'difrent' from a normal human but there is nothing to worry about. She did indeed turn one of the hounds to ash but that is only because it seems she has inherited Eve's powers but in not afflicted by her. Melissa your genes still do hold some perks from Eve but they may not last forever. It very well could go away, even before she is born. We just had to make sure it was not permanent."

Looking over at Max he looked away a little, "Then as for the little guy…well we do not think he turned the dog back, it turned back on its own. We think now that Eve is gone her influence is weakening. We already know some of the creatures die without warning, this dog may have not have been as affected as the others and simply reverted back to its natural state. We ran tests on the dog and it seems perfectly normal. There is nothing strange about Max other then the fact he is clearly a genius in the making. Perhaps a future scientist to help with all this mess Eve has left us."

This was all really starting to annoy her, all these tests just to tell them things they already knew aside from her baby which worried her a little. "All in all everyone is normal and it is perfectly alright for you to return home now," Hawthorn concluded with a bright smile.

"But I want my doggy." Max cried from Melissa's shoulder.

"Alright then…you can take the dog with you if you wish. We will have him waiting outside for you." Hitting a small intercom on the table Hawthorn spoke with his same cheerful tone, "please bring the dog from the cleanup to the front door thank you."

"Thank you too." Said Max happily. Zander didn't answer; he was just trying to figure out what he was going to do with a dog. Melissa hesitated to leave the room; she just didn't feel she had the whole story, something was missing, they were holding information back. All the answers were too simple there had to be something more to this. Zander ushered her out all the same as Max watched the two scientists carefully before waving at them. "Okay bye…I never want to come back but bye."

Witman waited until the family was some distance away before he asked, "The baby?"

Hawthorn sat back in the chair folding his hands and resting them in his lap, "More powerful then we ever could have imagined. I can't wait to see what she can do, already her brother is a marvel and he is weak compared to her."

"So the boy?"

"A marvel of modern science. I don't know how he came about but I intend to find out…he cured that dog, I don't know how and I don't know why."

"Good." Replied Witman with a smile almost off in his own little world.

"What?"

"Oh…good as if now we have something to look into. It was getting dull around here anyways. Good job Henry." With that Witman got up and walked out of the room quit proud of himself for no reason at all. Hawthorn didn't trust him at all, as far as doctors went Witman we a sly sneaky snake who would no sooner slit your throat then be help you in the lab.

Max perked up at the sound of a barking dog, he squirmed out of Melissa's arms falling to the floor and running forward to the furry mutt. Throwing his arms around the dog he cried, "Shaggy." The dog licked his face happily while Max looked to his daddy with pleading eyes begging him, "Can we keep him daddy?"

"Why not, welcome to the Chase family Shaggy, seems you belong with us anyways." Melissa looked down at the dog not sure she liked it. It should be dead; she knew that for a fact. If Eve's influence was gone then everything she turned died…then again in all reality she should be dead as well. Who even knew anymore? She gave up on this whole understanding thing. She was retiring from this world and going back to the normal one.

The dog walked over to her licking her hand lightly. She looked down at the mutt tilting her head sideways as she smiled, "Well you certainly do fit into the family. What do you think about going back to a normal life of a fat lazy house dog?" The dog barked at her wagging its tail and panting with a stupid blank look on its face, "I suppose that means yes then."


	16. Danica

Danica: Chapter Sixteen

Max played with some of his toys out in the sunroom while his mommy folded laundry. She didn't go to work anymore, not after she started getting bigger and weaker. Melissa felt like some useless house wife but luckily she only had one month left to go before she could work at getting her figure back. That and she could hardly wait to finally meet the hyper active little baby growing in her that never seemed to sleep. Max continued playing with his dinosaurs making them bash into each other growling and clawing one another. "Ah mass extinction." He cried out throwing a pillow over the valley of giant reptiles. "Now the mammals will rule the world…hey where did Benny go?"

Jumping up he ran around jumping on the sofas and picking the pillows up. Running over to the sleeping dog resting in the warm sunlight he pried its jaws open and yelled into his mouth, "Benny?" The dog shook his head getting up and yawing, its eyes falling lazily onto Max's face. "Shaggy, help me find Benny." Shaggy just shook his body mocking what dogs did to get water off them after getting a bath. Happily it followed Max around the house sniffing around and looking under the table of the kitchen and under his bed.

Putting all the folded clothes into the clothing basket Melissa jumped a little before smiling lightly and resting a hand on her stomach, "Hey there, you be nice now. God what are you doing, kickboxing or something? If I wouldn't have known any better I would have assumed you were a boy with how hyper you are."

Max ran into the laundry room with Shaggy slowly bouncing behind him in that slow dopy way he moved around. He seemed like the worlds dumbest dog yet he seemed pretty clever, just unable to escape the empty gaze of an alley bred mutt. "Mommy have you seen Benny, he ran away and I can't find him."

Melissa smiled picking up the white rabbit and handing him to Max. "I just ran him through the wash, he was a little dirty. There you go Maxy."

He smiled taking the rabbit in his hands and hugged him feeling the warmth he had gathered from the dryer. "Benny you smell like my shirt…thank you mommy. See Shaggy I told you mommy would know where he is…mommy knows everything, that's what they do." He ran over setting the stuffed rabbit on the dogs back and patting him, "Mommy Shaggy is going to be a saber tooth tiger…but he is the Smiladon one…not the little one. His teeth are too little…maybe I can make him Smiladon teeth."

Melissa smiled; Max never lost that clever little flare of his even if he had picked up a more childish nature over the months. It most likely had something to do with settling into his new home, either that or he was afraid to be too smart anymore. If he was simply just acting more his age to make people think him cute then he was a good little actor, and he picked up singing very quickly, he had already memorized every song she had sung around him, even the ones in different languages. It was amazing the memory bank he had not to forget he was almost fluent in three different languages just from watching the opera's.

"Well if he is a Smiladon then is Benny the Giant Sloth?"

Max jumped with joy obviously never thinking of that, "Ya…Benny you're a giant sloth…you have big claws and fangs just like the mon…on second thought Benny should just be Benny…and Shaggy…I don't want to give you bigger teeth. I like you the way you are now, not scary like before."

Melissa set her hand over her chest feeling a little sorry for her poor little Max. He was a child who knew monsters were real and that they were after him that night. She had seen it in his eyes so many times, that fear that he was going to die. Ever since that day he had refused to sleep in the dark, he had asked for a nightlight, a flashlight, and a lamp all in his room just in case. With that he took Shaggy by the collar and ran off with him back into the sunroom.

Melissa continued to work on laudrary, she had gotten rather good at it, again another sad reminder of what a house wife she was becoming. As she picked up the basket she felt a sharp pain run down her side. It seemed like nothing at first until she took a step forward and dropped the basket from the intensity of the pain. Falling to the ground she curled up closing her eyes tightly and wrapping her arms around her sides. Max ran back into the room looking down at her as she lay on the floor silently crying. Rushing to her side he cried out. "Mommy…mommy get up…mommy oh no."

Melissa could hear his voice as it seemed so distant even if he was crying right next to her. Looking up at him she gasped trying to ignore the pain for just a second, "Max…go call the hospital can you do that for me?"

He nodded looking at her with wide eyes before running to the phone and frantically dialing the number to the hospital. He had it memorized by now since every time his daddy and mommy left the house they left it with his babysitter. He knew it better then the babysitter did, "Hello…hospital my mommy's sick, I need you to come and get her please…hurry up I thinks she's hurt."

At the hospital Max found himself curled up in his fathers lap as Zander watched the delivery room door with fear in his eyes. Each time Melissa let out a scream Max put his hands over his ears and burst out into tears again. He muttered to his father rather distrot and worried, "Is mommy going to die…is my sister going to die? Daddy can you make mommy feel better, why can't you help her?"

Zander didn't speak; he was too worried to speak. Everything seemed to be falling out of his control. He just rocked Max back and forth listening to the little boy crying as his wife screamed in the room before them. Holding Benny against Zander's chest Max hid his face trying to hide his tears as he shook. "I don't want to lose her…I don't want to…I was good this time I promised to keep her safe. It's not fair."

There was a short moment of silence making Zander gaze at the door, tears running down his face as is heart pound so hard in his chest he could almost taste his own blood. The silence seemed to last forever before a strong cry broke it, the piercing shriek reminding him of Max when he was just a little baby. Zander smiled shaking Max lightly. Moments latter one of the nurses ran out into the waiting room pulling her mask off and smiling down at Zander, "Congratulations Mr. Chase you have a little girl. Everything went smoothly; both Melissa and the baby are just fine. You two can come in now."

Max was set down following his father slowly into the room watching his daddy rush over to Melissa and hug her. She looked tired, her hair was all wet and she looked very pale like she was sick. Melissa seemed a little worried as well as she spoke quietly still horribly exhausted, "Is she…normal?"

"She seems fine to me." Zander replied kissing her on the forehead. Max just stood by the door still afraid to get any closer. The small cries stopped as the nurse handed a white bundle to his mommy, Melissa smiled down at it holding the fragile little creature in her arms. Zander seemed very happy too looking down at Max's little sister. Max was afraid of her, he didn't know why, he had liked her before but now he didn't know what to think. He felt a little ignored as his mommy and daddy snuggled the new baby, Max let his eyes fall to Benny hugging the rabbit tightly. "She's so beautiful Melissa; she has your face and my eyes, what a pretty little angel."

Max looked up missing his real mommy again, he remembered her saying those sort of things to him, calling him her little angel. Tears came to his eyes again, now the new baby was taking away his new mommy and his daddy. He snuggled Benny again as Zander looked over to Max and smiled, "it's okay sport, no need to be afraid. Come over here and met your new sister." Max was not sure he wanted to meet her but still he felt himself moving slowly over to the bed. If she made his mommy sick then she could not be all that nice.

Reaching the bedside he looked over at Melissa first with sad eyes. "Hey Maxy, this is your sister Danica." She smiled at him in that way that made him want to curl up in her lap and fall asleep. Then he looked down at the little baby all pale and tiny with big stormy blue eyes that remained fixed on him. She made funny cooing sounds like a baby bird only different, her pretty eyes looking into his as he watched her. Then she did something Max had not expected, she shifted her head just a little and opened her mouth in a sad attempt to smile as her eyes light up. She almost seemed more excited to see him then she had to see her own parents.

Zander patted Max on the back, "Ha, I think she knows you're her big brother. It's your job to keep an eye on her Max, you'll be her best friend and her guardian for all her life." Max didn't think about that, he didn't think that it was his responsibility to keep her safe but it was his job and it was his job to teach her everything he knew. It was his job to keep the monsters away from her so they would not kill her because she was like him, she was all he had in this world, the only other who he would understand and who would understand him. They were very much the same, brother and sister with a bond that had been strong even before either of their lives had begun.

Smiling back at her he touched a finger to her forehead lightly and replied, "Hello Danny…I'm your brother Max. It's nice to finally meet you." The baby watched him closely, it seemed like she was listening to his voice closely reading his face and his smile.

He jumped back when a small calm voice entered his mind, a beautiful voice soft and clear like a silver bell, _'Max.' _

Another smile crossed his face as he looked back at her almost instinctively knowing what to do next. Concentrating on her eyes he thought but not to himself. He thought with that part of his mind that was open to any who could see it, _'Danica.' _Lifting up Benny Max set it on the bed and spoke softly watching his sister, "Here Danica, Benny is yours now. You'll need him more then me; he'll watch over you and keep you safe. As long as you have Benny then you'll always know that I am there with you no matter what Danny, don't forget okay."


End file.
